


Danganronpa: Crypt's Despairful Echoes

by JosephWrites



Series: Danganronpa: The Joseph Timeline [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-01-25 05:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 64
Words: 166,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21351316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephWrites/pseuds/JosephWrites
Summary: Osen Goya had made a grave mistake.Alongside her best friend, Osen finds herself captured in an unfamiliar situation with a sadistic host hellbent on running a killing game like an actual game show. With no way out, it appears it's time to fear the worst...Or is it?(DANGANRONPA: CRYPT'S DESPAIRFUL ECHOES is a sequel to DANGANRONPA: ANOTHER BRANCH. There are many references to the previous killing game that may not be understood if you've never read that novel, so I highly suggest you make sure you're up to date!
Series: Danganronpa: The Joseph Timeline [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814458
Comments: 13
Kudos: 30





	1. PROLOGUE- HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE

_“Right here. Bring them here.”_

_“This is a bad idea...”_

_“We don’t have time for this. Come on, drag him over.”_

_“**[REDACTED], **What if someone sees us?! We’re going to get kicked out of Hope’s Peak if--”_

_“Damn it, **[REDACTED], **Listen to me! If they catch us we’re going to prison! Stop thinking about your scholarship for one second and think of the bigger picture!”_

_“W-We’re gonna get caught. We’re gonna get caught, and they’re gonna blame us, a-and... and...”_

_“Calm down, **[REDACTED]. **Unlike you, I don’t have an alibi for what happened tonight. All I have was that I was with him when it happened... You know I won’t let you take the fall for this.”_

_“...”_

_“**[REDACTED]. You’re spacing out again.”**_

** _“[REDACTED]! Someone’s coming, we’ve got to go!”_ **

** _“GET OFF OF THEM! [REDACTED], FIGHT BACK!”_ **

** _“I’LL KILL YOU! GET BACK HERE!”_ **

** _“[REDACTED]!”_ **

**...**

** _PROLOGUE- HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE_ **

I flinched awake, the memory still fresh in my head. The room I’d woken up in was a disturbing sight; it was a dirt covered, cobweb infested, graveyard-smelling shell of a room, with the bed I’d woken up on being the only thing in the room that even remotely resembled something new.

The room was a mess. I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, looking to see the floor was just pure cobblestone. I was thankful that, whoever that person was that dragged me here, he at least let me keep my clothing.

My clothes were the only thing linking me to Hope’s Peak now.

I got up, heading over to the mirror hanging over a disgusting looking wash basin. I’d been left unshackled... The kidnapper either thought I wasn’t going to attempt escape or had set something up for me that’d keep me locked here.

Either way, I wasn’t staying in this room. Not when I could barely see my reflection. Using the sleeve of my uniform, I wiped away the mirror’s grime, getting a better look at my face.

Much like the room... I, too, was a mess.

The Hope’s Peak uniform I wore was stained with blood. It wasn’t hard to see why- the bandages currently wrapped around my skull and over my eye were a brownish colour, matching the frequency of the dried substance. It’s all I could really remember from earlier that night- Some guy in a black trench coat and hat came out of nowhere and whacked me and... Him... over the head with a shovel.

That’s right... where was Chuu? Chuu wasn’t here with me, so he must’ve been taken to a different room. I looked into the mirror again, the only eye still visible shining back green. My hair was red as it was- the blood would’ve camouflaged in even if the kidnapper didn’t bandage my head.

Okay, let’s see if I still knew my introduction.

“M-My...” I shakily stammered out, trying to keep myself from breaking already. “My name is... Osen Goya. I’m the... the...”

Osen Goya. Ultimate Honours Student. Come on, just say it.

“I’m the ultimate... Honours Student...”

Oh, who am I kidding? I’m not an Honours Student. Not anymore. I... I killed someone. Chuu had helped me commit it, but... but he didn’t deserve to be locked away like me. Chuu hadn’t held the weapon. Chuu hadn’t swung it.

I’d killed him. And I was paying for it now.

I deserved this...

I turned away from the mirror, not wanting to face it. How odd it was to worry about imprisonment, only to be met with a worse kind. I walked over to the wooden door of my cell, beating both fists onto it...

And to my surprise, found it open without a hitch.

I looked out into the hallway, expecting to see a crazed maniac with an axe ready. What I saw instead was more doors- four of them, to be exact, and looking down the other direction I saw four more. The place was set up in a weird way- the room I’d just come from faced another room, which I opened to find another bedroom behind. All of the rooms were bedrooms, as a matter of fact- I checked each one, finding they were all bedrooms of the exact same design as the one I came from.

As for the layout, the way it was set up was a nightmare- the eight doors in the corridor weren’t the only doors, as I found rounding the corner of one of the bedroom blocks. There were four more doors on one side, and another four on the other. The best way to put it is that it was a block of rooms- four bedrooms, with two doors on either side that led into the rooms.

The bedrooms just rose a hard question- did that mean there were others here? Or was it just me, alone in a place with sixteen bedrooms?

It certainly felt that way until I came across a hallway at the north passage. I walked through, terrified with what I found on the other side.

And yet, walking through into the darkness just left me with five more doors, ready for me to enter. I tested the first door, opening it and peeking inside, aware that I had been kidnapped and needed to keep clear of that.

Though, poking my head in the room, it didn’t feel that way when I saw humming to himself, looking around the room on a mission to find something.

And then he spotted the door opening, probably because I opened it wider and let him see me. He instantly recognised that I was afraid and cleared his throat, dropping the scalpel he’d been moving to the ground.

“_..._” He picked it up, tripping slightly as he put it aside. “Hello!”

I shook gently. I didn’t recognise him. I was afraid he’d attack me.

“... Oh, uh... I’m not the person who kidnapped you.” The guy was dressed in medical scrubs, trying his hardest to look calm around me, but it was clear off the bat that he was probably more stressed about the situation than I was. “Actually, when I found you, I patched you up. You’re lucky to be alive... Whoever’s doing this put a welt the size of a softball into your skull.”

I translated that to mean whoever hit me did so with the intent to kill.

“So, introductions... I’m Kenjiro Yoshimitsu, The Ultimate MD.”

“Ultimate... You’re a doctor?” I asked gently.

“That’s correct. I guess ‘MD’ is just a fancier name for it.” He shrugged, flicking his hair out with his hand. “I’ve been tending to everyone who’s been tossed down here with us.”

“... T-There are others?”

Though I tried to ask that question, I doubt he heard me. I was in so in shock over hearing it that my voice became a whisper. He quickly got back to what he was doing, which now included washing the scalpel to make sure it was clean after dropping it. At least there was running water...

Wherever we were.

“Hey, there’s a guy in the lounge asking after you, you know.” I quickly realised he was still talking to me. “Claims his name is Chuu. You ever heard of him?”

My eyes widened. “C-Chuu... He’s here?!”

He smiled at me. “Well, that’s a yes. Yeah, he’s just through to your left--”

I dashed out of the room, almost barging into the room. I paid absolutely no mind to the decor or the way it looked- I was more looking at the people I saw.

One very tall gentleman in a red suit, and an all too familiar face.

“Calm down, Chuu.” The man gripped his shoulders. “You’re just over-exerting yourself. I’m sure when she’s awake, she’ll come looking for you.”

Chuu pushed his hands off. “What if she doesn’t wake up?! I’m gonna pop that asshole’s head like a fucking pimple if I see him again...”

“Chuu!”

Chuu looked at me, his anger fading instantly. “Osen?!”

The mystery man chuckled. “There we are! See, I told it’d be fine.”

Chuu ran at me, hugging me close. I’d been scared he’d be taken somewhere else, but apparently he’d been just taken here with us. I guess I’d have to thank God for that.

Chuu Nori, the Ultimate Archer, had been my friend since childhood. We’d met in 1st grade, both having been bullied for different reason, and had bonded over our mutual problems. Ten years on, we ended up staying best friends, despite how much he changed as a person, growing sour after the death of his sister.

“Did he hurt you?” Chuu as, touching the bandages over my eye. “Did he hurt you, Osen?”

“A-Are you talking about the kidnapper or the guy who bandaged me up?” I responded meekly. Chuu was... overprotective, to say the least. He claimed I reminded him of his sister, but... I never got to see the resemblance.

Chuu grimaced. “There are others here, Osen. This guy’s insane if he thinks he can keep us all down there.”

“Have you found a way out yet?” I asked, curious to how he’d worded it.

“There’s this big door in the main area!” Chuu replied. “Daylight’s coming through it, so the stronger lot have been going at that door for the past hour.”

I worried then, looking around. The guy who’d been in the room had left, so it was just us talking to each other.

“How long have I been out, Chuu...?”

His face softened. “Around four days.”

“F-Four...” I swallowed hard, a dizzy spell hitting me. Chuu sat me down as I held my head. “Four... Days?”

“It’s not a long time,” Chuu mentioned, trying to keep me calm. “Long enough for people to start looking for us, but not long down here. Like I said- the others are working on the way out. We just need to remain calm.”

As he said that, someone came through the door. They appeared to be bundled up in some sort of winter’s coat, a navy blue in colour, wearing black gloves and black skiing pants. When they turned their head, showing their face blocked by the hood, i saw a pale face stare out from underneath it, with red eyes and snow white hair.

“What?!” Chuu asked, disgruntled.

“Hisonora ask after you.” The woman spoke in slightly broken English, and I could hear in her voice she was struggling with the Japanese she spoke. “Said about moving rock? Need you help?”

Chuu growled. He pointed to me. “Protect her.”

“Yes. Protect.”

Chuu and the woman traded places, with Chuu leaving the room and the woman sitting next to me. It wasn’t until she actually sat next to me that I realised that she felt cold- not in personality, mind you, but in actual body temperature. She felt like she’d come from the arctic.

Given her talent, I should’ve expected that.

“Me...” She put a hand on her chest, trying her best to introduce herself. “Hirota Hatsune. Arctic Research Woman. I watch ice in North to see global warm.”

Despite having a very Japanese sounding name, I finally picked up on the language her accent was; at least I felt I did. “Ah, you’re... German?”

“Iceland.” Hirota corrected me. “Am Iceland. Not used to Japan speech.”

I cleared my throat.

“Do you speak English, then?” I asked in English. She shook her head however, and I had to resort back to Japanese. “Shame. I’m fluent in both.”

“Am not fluid.” She replied, laughing, which caused me to laugh as well. That did cause a splitting headache however, so I had to stop almost immediately, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Want explore?” She asked me. “I watch. Protect you. But can’t stop from walking.”

“... Yes?” I responded, trying my hardest not to sound confused.

“Then go! Let travel. Be good.”

I got up, waving at her. She seemed nice- a little odd, but nice all the same. She wasn’t Japanese though. That was obvious now.

Iceland... I’d always wondered what it was like there. I expected it to be cold, but that’s about it. Perhaps I should ask her about it later.

When I wasn’t worried about my safety.

Walking out into the hallway, I noticed that there were two people now talking in the hallway about the door. The man standing on the left was wearing some pretty bright clothing- a dark pink jacket with yellow sleeve sewn on the right arm and a bright blue pair of jeans, one of the legs ripped off and one of the knees exposed.

The other person, standing on the right facing him was a woman, who was about as tall as him, wearing a black dress in a complete juxtaposition. Where he had grey hair, she had blue. Where his hair was long, hers barely went past her shoulders.

I listened to their conversation for a while.

“So, this door, right? We’re gonna plant some C4 on it.”

“You have found C4? Where?”

“I mean, not yet! But we’re gonna! This psycho’s got a room dedicated to guns and knives and shit, he’s bound to have bombs!”

“Are you not afraid of the ceiling coming down on us...?”

The way they spoke was also pure opposites. The man was very vocal with his ideas, his voice deep and proud, while the woman’s voice was high and raspy. I didn’t want to make assumptions, but my first guess is that the pair had been dating.

That changed instantly when I noticed the woman look to me, revealing her left eye... “Oh, hello. You’re the sleeping one, correct?”

Then the man flashed me a grin, and I saw he had a gold tooth. “Ah, it is! Yo, yo, yo!”

I swallowed. These people were so different in personality that I didn’t honestly know which one I floated more towards.

“... Scared, right.” The man wiped his nose. “Sorry, forgot we never met. Name’s Motosuki Ara, and I am the Ultimate Alternate Artist. It says ‘Artist’ on the tin, but I ain’t like those other artists, see!”

The woman chortled. “Motosuki is mostly known for his music. Have you heard of ‘Gold like a Gold Bar’?

Seemed redundant, but okay. I was more interested in what was going on with the woman’s face. It only took a split second, but she caught me staring, suddenly hiding the mark on her left eye with her hand.

“... Please don’t stare. It’s rude.”

I was sure as can be- around her left eye, the woman had intense bruising like someone had punched her hard in the face. I made sure to look away before clearing my throat. “Sorry.”

“My name is Masa Taji. I’m known as the Ultimate Housewife.” She removed her hand from her eye, choosing instead to cross her hands in front of her hips. “I have been a housewife going on three years now, so I decided to enrol at Hope’s Peak and, sure enough, I got the role.”

“Yeah, that’s interesting,” Motosuki snickered, “but not as interesting as you, girl!”

I got pointed at. “H-Huh?”

“Dude! Chuu’s gone on and on about you!” Motosuki stepped forward, looking down at me with his weirdly coloured eyes. His hair did fall across his right one, but he moved it aside to talk to me more genuinely. “He’s been talking ALL sorts of hype about you! How you’ve got A* across the board, stuff of that description!”

Chuu had always been proud of my achievements. Yes, I was smart- perhaps smarter than I gave myself credit for- but I didn’t like to tell people about it. However, Chuu was far more accepting of my talent.

If that talent still applied anymore, anyway.

“Sorry about Motosuki’s abhorrent want to control his pitch.” Masa clicked her heels over to me, wiping my eye of the scared tears I was apparently still crying. “There are still others you haven’t met, correct? Please, don’t let us distract you. Go ahead.”

I did as I was told, walking to the next room in line and opening it. Through the door was some sort of kitchen, spacey and nice to stand in the middle of. There were three people here- one of them was busy on his own making some sort of fruit salad while the mystery man from earlier had a one-sided argument with a girl about a third his height.

I walked over to the man alone. “Um... hello?”

The guy looked at me, flicking hair from his eyes as he did. “Ah, you. I take it you’re Osen?”

“Looks like e-everyone knows my name...” I laughed gently to myself.

“Yeah, because your ‘best friend’ wouldn’t shut the--” His voice wavered as I saw his eyes flick to the girl. “-Heeeell up about you.”

I knew, just from his face, he’d wanted to say the F word.

He tutted. “Yoriko Ito. Ultimate Hydrobiologist. I study aquatic plant life. Don’t ask me why; I guess some aquatic plant life needs to be studied for like, medical purposes? Whatever.”

I blinked. “Sounds like you’re not a big fan of your talent--”

“I’m not,” He replied sharply. “For the record, I wanted to be a detective, but Noooo, I’m colour-blind so they don’t let me in under that talent! What a load of bullsh- crap.”

I swallowed. “Any reason why you’re not swearing...?”

“Well, it’s because there’s a child here.” He looked over my shoulder, which wasn’t a hard feat considering I’m five foot one. “That girl...”

“The small one?”

“No the fu- the freaking seven foot giant with the rat’s tail,” He replied in a sarcastic tone. “Of course I’m talking about the small one.”

“Oh...” I scratched my cheek. “What about her?”

“She’s...” Yoriko finally showed an emotion besides displeased. “She’s... a kid. A Lil’ Ultimate.”

My face went pale. Lil’ Ultimate... the guy who put us here had captured a kid too?

“Go say hello. I’m sure she’s dying to meet you,” Yoriko told me, patting my shoulder for good measure. I did as I was told, walking towards the tall and small pair as I listened to their ‘argument’.

“Well, what if the others want orange slices?” The mystery man asked.

“Well I don’t!” She huffed back at him. “So no oranges! They’re yucky.”

The mystery man laughed. “Alright, Alright. No oranges.”

“Excuse me...” I spoke up. “I’ve come to introduce myself?”

The little girl looked at me, blowing a raspberry at me. “About time! You’ve been sleeping foreeeeeveeeer!”

The man waved at me. “You must be Osen.”

“That’s me,” I replied. I swore that the man was about to say his own name when the little girl cut him off with a laugh.

“That means we haven’t met, then! My name is Cho- Cho Machi!” She adjusted one of her hair buns. “And I am the Lil’ Ultimate Hairdresser!”

I felt my blood run cold. “Y-You’re just a kid...”

“Hey!” She took a very bratty stance towards me, having to stand on the step stool she was using to even look at in the face. “I’m nine and a half! I’m a big girl!”

The guy laughed again. “Yeah, Osen. Don’t be so judgemental.”

“Yeah! Whatever he said!”

After that enlightening experience, the man finally made his appearance.

“Name’s Hisonora Yanjuu.” He smirked, his light-hearted voice warming my soul. “That’s all you need to know.”

“... Is it?”

“Yeah, it is.” He shrugs. “Do I have to say my talent? You know my name, so...”

Cho also seemed to quip at him for it. “Stop being a Meanie! You have a talent! Tell us what it is!”

Hisonora just laughed off her statement, making her pout. I smiled at the father-daughter type relationship they had. I headed outside again, expecting to see the pair I’d seen last time, only to be greeted with someone completely different. I wasn’t even sure what gender he was until he turned to me.

Male. Definitely. His face had that shape, and he was wearing a black hoodie that covered most of his body. He, like Hirota, wore black gloves, but unlike hers they were actual gloves instead of mittens. His eyes were a light shade of orange and his hair was a dirty brown, and his mouth was wrapped up in bandages to hide it.

He didn’t say a word as I stepped into the hallway. “Oh, hello...”

No response. I was unnerved, to say the least- but not as unnerved as when Chuu came out of nowhere, surprise in his voice.

“Osen... you alright?” He moved past me, seeing the man. “Oh... you. Yeah, this weirdo...”

“Who is he?” I asked, genuinely scared of him. “Why isn’t he saying anything?”

“Oh, he’s...” Chuu sighs. “According, to his ‘religion’, he’s not allowed to speak to anyone until his name is spoken.”

I coughed. “Oh... okay. Do you know it?”

Chuu nodded at me, and then turned to him.

“Cerberus! Introduce yourself. Now.”

With that, the man instantly spoke. “Of course. My name is Cerberus... I have devoted my life to the deities, so my real name no longer exists.”

“He’s the Ultimate Cultist, if you couldn’t tell by his backwards way of doing things.” Chuu groaned. “The guy’s mental. I suggest you avoid him if he gets a look in his eye...”

Cerberus didn’t seem offended by this. “I do tend to ramble at the worst of times. Please, only approach me when you feel as though you’re good to do so.”

I nodded, backing away from him. “Y-Yeah, that’s good. I will. Bye.”

I walked in the opposite direction to him, heading into an area I hadn’t seen before. Like Chuu had said, there was a big door here, directly opposite the hallway. I hadn’t seen what was behind the other two doors, but while Cerberus was in that hallway I didn’t really want to. There was a door to the left and a barred hallway to the right.

Chuu planted a kick on the door again. “Damn thing.”

“This is our way out?”

“Seems like it. We’d need a ton of force to push through it...”

I looked to the other door. “That... Motosuki guy, he mentioned something about a weapons room...”

“And we’ve barred that room for the foreseeable future.” Chuu sighed. “After all, nobody here seems trustworthy enough to have a gun on them.”

“Not even Hisonora?” I asked.

“_Especially_, Hisonora. The guy’s said two things about himself the entire time I’ve been here- his name and his age, and neither of them sound real.”

“Perhaps you need to trust people more.” Suddenly, I was alerted to a woman coming out of the room to my left. I watched her close the door.

I... tried to watch her close the door, anyway. It didn’t help the woman was in her underwear, or at least something that looked like it. She had light blue hair and pinkish eyes, but my eyes couldn’t stop drifting downwards as she fluffed her breasts like a pair of pillows.

Then, a sharp pain hit the back of my head when Chuu caught me staring. “Osen, you useless lesbian...”

“I-I can’t help it!” I replied. “The girl’s got her entire body on display!”

“It’s Yuno Tsuzuki,” the woman replied, “and I’m the ultimate swimsuit model. I wear this because it’s my job.”

“C-Can you please at least put on a shirt?” I asked, my face going red.

“And let these puppies suffocate under cotton?” Yuno ran her hand seductively along her body. “Puh-lease.”

Chuu scrambled to give me an answer. “I’ve seen you shivering, Yuno. You can’t wear that thing forever.”

Yuno laughed, putting her hands behind her head. “And who says that? I haven’t seen a change of clothes in this place since we got dropped off.”

That was all Yuno said. As she walked past me, I watched her slap her own backside, laughing as she did, knowing that it was taunting me.

Chuu snuffed my flame. “Don’t bother. The girl’s been flirting with everyone; she’s a bitch.”

I said nothing, walking over to the room she’d come from and saw that inside was a canteen of some sort. Eating at one of the tables was a woman with a lacy head dress. I walked in a little, afraid of the darkened room, but the woman looked up and looked at me and I realised I had someone else to fear instead.

“Ah! Sorry, I-I was just...”

“It’s alright. Please, take your time.” The woman continued eating. “Not as though I am here to judge where you travel.”

Chuu stepped in behind me. “Ugh. Osen, this is Kukiko.”

“Allow me to introduce myself, please, Black Lotus.” Kukiko rose to her feet. “My name is Kukiko Tezuka. I am the Ultimate Florist. A pleasure to meet you, miss...”

The fear I had turned to confusion. “Black Lotus...?”

“It’s her nickname for me.” I heard Chuu mention as he leant on the wall near the exit. “She calls everyone flowers here. I hate it.”

When I turned to look at Chuu, I heard a chair move- and I looked back to meet her crouching on the table, looking me right in the eye.

“You... you remind me of a Bluebell. Skimpy, perhaps weak, but beautiful.” She booped my nose. “Bluebell shall be your name.”

“B-But my name is Osen...” I replied meekly.

“She doesn’t care,” Chuu reminded me.

With that out of the way, I made my absolutely damndest effort to not look like an asshole as I walked out, only waving goodbye. Back into the area I called the ‘door room’, I took a breather.

Chuu leant next to me. “Colourful cast, isn’t it?”

“I’m scared...” I mentioned. “Where are we...? Why are we here?”

Chuu sighed. “I don’t know. But I’m not going to pretend that everything’s hunky dory. I don’t know what’s going to happen... but we’ll get through this... I promise.”

I squeezed his hand. He squeezed mine back. Now that Cerberus wasn’t in the hallway, I felt comfortable walking into the room nearest, walking inside to see that there were two people inside. One was dressed in the fanciest clothing I’d ever seen in real life, while the other was wearing a sweater vest with the midriff exposed and some yoga shorts.

The room I’d entered appeared to be a gym, a place that we could exercise. Our kidnapper had really thought of everything. I waved gently, alerting them both to my presence.

“Ah! Welcome.” The man’s voice was higher than I thought it’d be. “My name is Kane Sanjuro. I am the Ultimate Scholar, and will happily teach you if you wish for me too.”

“Teach what, exactly?” I asked.

“Ah, all sorts of things! I have knowledge of all subjects...”

“Excuse me!” Suddenly, the shrill voice of the woman hit the room. “Are you ignoring me?”

“No, of course not... I was just--”

“Then let me say hello, too.” She crossed one arm over her chest, blushing. “My n-name... is...”

Suddenly, she got flushed, not looking me in the eyes. She immediately went from angry to embarrassed, as though she’d been caught in a lie.

“... Is...?”

“I’m getting to it!” She yelled again, her face beetroot red. “... It’s Akako Mori.”

“O-Oh.” I smiled at her. “It’s a very nice name.”

SLAP. Suddenly, a bright red hand mark had made its way onto my cheek. She had struck me so fast I hadn’t even seen her do it. I flinched as she pouted, looking away from me with crossed arms.

Kane had to explain. “Ah, you’re... sorry, Osen. Akako’s a bit of a... what’s the word again, Chuu?”

Chuu raised an eyebrow. “Tsundere?”

Akako went red again. “I’m not a Tsundere! I just don’t like you all.”

I rubbed my cheek. “Well, what’s your talent...?”

“You gotta keep asking me that, don’t you?” She huffed. “I don’t have one. I was on my way to apply to Hope’s Peak when someone scooped me up off the streets.”

“Well, what were you going to be then?” I asked patiently.

“U-Ugh!” She did the same pose she did when she was trying to say her name. “I was gonna be the Ultimate Yoga Instructor.”

Kane poked his own cheek. Chuu just snickered at what was going on, while I kept my cool and let her continue.

“I-It’s not because I like people looking at me, stupid!” She crossed her arms again. “It’s because I’m GOOD at it, and people want me to teach them how! So I do it because it’s fun. That’s why.”

I nodded. “If you’re good at it, then you should do it. That’s how it works.”

I swear I flinched when I saw her hand rise again, but this time it went to her mouth to hide what I could tell was a loving smile. “Exactly my point, stupid! I think we should have fun with our talents.”

Kane nodded. “I certainly have fun helping people learn. It’s... what’s the word... exquisite? Yeah, exquisite to see people learning happily.”

Akako sighed, her voice growing tough-sounding. “It’s not like I enjoy the looks I get or anything...”

Chuu chuckled. “Tsundere.”

“I’m not a Tsundere!” She yelled back again, stomping her foot to echo her point.

With that out of the way, Chuu and I walked back out into the hallway. As I walked out, however, I saw Hisonora talking with someone about something.

“How’s she holding up?” Hisonora asked.

“Horribly. Won’t even face me anymore...” The guy he was speaking to replied. “Looks like this situation’s taking its toll on her.”

“Who?” I asked, coming out of hiding. As I walked over, I immediately recognised that the person I was about to speak to was going to be a character and a half.

It was probably the big red nose that gave me that idea.

“Oh, you’re finally awake, huh?” The clown said. “Guess that means it’s time to introduce myself. My name is Umon Shigenobi. I’m the _Ultimate Circus Performer_\- don’t get it twisted. I’m not a clown.”

I nodded. “Oh, sorry.”

Hisonora patted Umon’s back. “And to answer your question, Osen, we’re talking about someone else who, for the past three days, has shut herself inside a room and sat in the corner.”

I stepped forward. “I-I could try to talk to her. If you’d like.”

“That’d be wonderful, thanks.” Umon stepped aside. “We don’t even know her name, so...”

I walked over to the door, opening it. I was greeted with a lobby-type setting, the kind that you’d wait in for a dentist’s appointment. It felt out of place, yes, but not as out of place as the snivelling mess of a woman in the corner of the room.

“Excuse me... Miss?” I walked over, trying to stay as calm as I could. “Hello, um... I...”

The woman didn’t even react to me. From behind, all I knew for certain was that she had long black hair and an orange summer dress on.

“... Can we talk?” I sat behind her, ignoring the uncomfortable ground. “If... If it’s okay, I’d like to talk. Can we?”

For a few seconds, all was still. All was silent.

Then, to my surprise, the raspiest voice I think I’d ever heard replied.

“_W-We can... Talk...” _Then, she cleared her throat. “Y-Yeah... we can talk.”

Then, the woman spun around. She looked me in the eye.

All I saw was death behind hers. The want to be released from the mortal coil. The woman was definitely beautiful- her skin was pale and smooth, and she wore a necklace that I’d never seen the design of before. Her hair fell to her hips, but unlike Yuno I couldn’t take my eye off hers.

All it took was a small smile to bring me back into the room. I placed my hand on hers, feeling the soft velvet of her white gloves.

“My name is Osen Goya.” I spoke as softly as I could. “I’m the Ultimate Honours Student.”

The silence between us was deafening before she replied.

“... S-Sun-Sing.” She replied, suddenly interlocking fingers with me. “I, um... I’m no longer an Ultimate because I grew out of it, but... I used to be the Ultimate Opera Singer.”

When her eyes looked to the ground, letting me go of the trance I’d found myself in, I knew it was time to ask the personal stuff.

“... Why are you locked up in here, Sun-Sing...?”

Sun-Sing replied easily. “I... I don’t want to be out there. It brings back bad memories...”

“... Memories of what?” I inched closer, wiping the tear that fell from her eye.

Sun-Sing didn’t reply. She didn’t need to, however, as Chuu suddenly entered the room, followed by Umon, and Sun-Sing turned and faced the wall again.

Hisonora also poked his head in. “The Timer’s almost up. We should get going.”

Sun-Sing shook her head. “I’m... I’m not...”

Umon shrugged at Chuu. “We can’t force her to come. I don’t wanna suggest leaving her behind, but...”

Chuu responded in his classic tone. “I don’t wanna be here when the timer does tick down. Come on, Osen, we’re leaving.”

“Wait, Chuu!” As he pulled me to my feet, I tried to hold onto the nearby desk. “We can’t just leave her here! She needs our help...”

“If she needed it, she would’ve asked for it during any of the four days we’ve been trying to get through to her,” Umon remarked. “What makes you think you’ve got the magic touch just because she spoke to you?”

“Her name is Sun-Sing,” I barked, causing him to gain a surprised look. “Use her name.”

Umon heaved a sigh. “Sun-Sing. We need to go.”

Sun-Sing didn’t reply. Instead, she simply put her hands over her ears, demanding silence. That was what caused Chuu to finally growl and pull me out of the room, despite my best attempt to reach out for her.

I was dragged out the room, past Hisonora who looked at me getting dragged away worriedly, but I knew this was just how Chuu liked to do things. I didn’t really listen to him half the time- I made my own decisions, yes, but Chuu would only get demanding if what I was doing was wrong. Umon followed behind us, his face also a bit upset, but probably because of the situation.

Probably. Most likely. Yeah, he wasn’t worried about Chuu’s actions; he did this all the time after all.

We met in the door room with the other people. It hadn’t really occurred to me until they were all standing there of how many people were actually in the situation with Chuu and I... fourteen others, counting Hisonora and Sun-Sing.

Kenjiro looked over. “Oh, hey Osen! See you found your friend. How are you feeling?”

“She’s feeling alright. Just a little scared,” Chuu answered for me. “How much time have we got on the timer?”

Motosuki pointed at the timer, visible through the bars of the right exit. “Check it, bruh! Six minutes till go time!”

Masa was next to the entrance to the door room. “I do hope this will lead to a different exit...”

Hirota, who stood next to her, rubbed her hands together. “Perhaps surface? Maybe area for telephone?”

Yoriko sighed, wiping his knuckle off on the jacket he wore. I hadn’t seen it earlier, but much like Cerberus Yoriko was also wearing black gloves. “Honestly, it’s more likely we’ll be heading into the lion’s den. Keep on guard, will you?”

Cho picked at her fruit bowl. “You worry too much. Can’t you think posittitititively?”

Speaking of Cerberus, he was leant against the big door. “Maybe this man intends for us to sacrifice ourselves to the Gods.”

Yuno adjusted her bra strap. “Well, he’s got another thing coming. I’ve still got photoshoots to do.”

Kukiko gave her a weird look. “Must you worry about such a stupid thing now, Flytrap?”

Yuno flipped her off, which went unnoticed by Kane as he paced back and forth. He appeared to be chanting a mantra to himself to keep himself calm. “I before E, except after C... I before E, except after C...”

Akako was busy trying to keep herself as small as possible so she wasn’t seen. “Look, I’m just gonna say it- I don’t trust this. Not at all.”

Umon added his two cents. “Me neither, Akako... but at this point, whatever happens, happens. We can’t just deny that this might be a way out.”

I looked down the hall, seeing that Hisonora hadn’t followed. I hoped he was doing the right thing.

Then, a buzzer sounded. The bars blocking the way into the right exit went up, revealing the darkness ahead. Nobody seemed to want to take the front and centre, so I stepped forwards, ready to head in. After all, whatever was behind it wasn’t going to be THAT dangerous.

... Right?

I headed deeper in, pushing away at a door that collapsed under my fingers. Going inside was some sort of large observatory type area, perfectly cylindrical in shape that went up high enough that I couldn’t even see the roof. On the far wall of this room was a large... wheel... thing.

Everyone soon followed in behind me. Chuu made the point clear enough-

“Great. It’s not an exit.”

“But what... is it?” Cerberus questioned, taking my side like we were friends. “Surely this is no device of torture. It is marked like a game show wheel.”

I took a step away from him. “Maybe that’s exactly what it is.”

“Hey, look!” Yuno pointed at it. “That thing’s got escape written on it!”

“As well as what, twenty other things?” Umon replied.

I looked closer. Sure enough, ‘ESCAPE’ was written onto the wheel, but so was things like ‘INSTANT DEATH’, ‘FLOOD’, ‘EARDRUM VIOLATION’ and ‘SPIDERS’, which didn’t sound like a good time.

“Perhaps intend to spin,” Hirota questioned, “and get thing that get chosen?”

Kenjiro pinched his nose, sighing gently. “Well, doesn’t this take me back to Vegas?”

“You went to Vegas?!” Motosuki’s voice rose. “Dude, I played in Vegas once! That shit was tight!”

“Shush, you two.” Masa said what we were all thinking.

“So we just...” Yoriko made the motion. “Spin it? Is that really what they’re expecting us to do?”

Cho snickered. “Even _I_ know that’s a bad idea. Gambling is bad! Mom told me.”

“So...” Kukiko didn’t sound happy. “We’re just going to give up on a potential escape route because it requires... luck?”

“You feel lucky, punk?” Akako said, and then immediately blushed and stammered out an apology. However, it was true... we were giving up on our escape just because everything else on the board was potentially fatal. Wouldn’t it be best just to try?

Kane furthered my point. “We could die down here anyway... You can’t tell me that it’d be best just to give up like that.”

The fourteen of us were torn. It looked like we were split, kind of- some people wanted to spin it, while others didn’t, and it put us at an immediate standstill.

That’s when Hisonora came through the path. “Yo, yo. What’s the situation?”

“There’s a big wheel,” Kenjiro pointed, “And it’s a gamble on what we get from it. Escape is on it, but so is like, thirty bad things.”

Hisonora crossed his arms, walking over to the wheel that was the same size as the seven foot four man. He gave it a good once over, even grabbing it and testing the spinning mechanism by gently moving it and it seemed like he was satisfied with what he found.

“Well, it’s not weighted,” Hisonora explained, “and it’s stable. I say we spin it!”

“Hisonora--”

Before anyone could stop him, Hisonora grabbed the wheel and gave it a mighty crank. His decision was met with shouts and hollers of anger and fear, but he shrugged, his hair blowing in the wind the device created.

“You fool!” Masa yelled as loud as her voice allowed. “You’ve potentially killed us!”

“Only potentially,” he replied with a chuckle. “Don’t worry; the chance of the wheel landing on Instant Death is one in twenty six.”

“There’s always a chance!” Masa’s voice broke in a reply.

The wheel slowed down. Hisonora joined the rest of us in the crowd as it ticked past some serious sounding stuff and slowly, slowly, slowly dropped in speed.

I swear, I bit my lip as it began to stop. It went past INSTANT DEATH several times, but as it slowed to a ticking crawl it was clear it wasn’t going to land on that.

Tick, tick, tick, tick... tick... tick...

... Tick...

... Tick...

“... The fuck is D-002?” Chuu asked.

“_SAAAAAAALUUUUUUTATIONS_, Hapless students!” Suddenly, I was acutely aware to an overdramatic voice coming from the hall behind us. I turned, listening as the sound of someone running out of it was accompanied by corny sounding game show music.

Hisonora actually seemed scared for a moment. “Oh, Christ. Sun-Sing--”

The woman in question burst from out of the darkness of the hall, instantly tumbling into us with tears in her eyes. Behind her, the music got louder as the walls of the cylinder room flashed with lights.

“Please, everyone, get ready to meet your host!” The voice echoed down the hall. “The wonderful, the magical, the so-full-of-despair-it’ll-make-your-brain-hurtiest... D-Double-Zero-Two!”

From out of the darkness, fifteen demonic red eyes shone, followed by the rest of the creature that leapt out of it with canned audience applause. To say I was immediately sceptical that D-002 was dangerous would be an understatement; the thing looked like it was held together by hopes and dreams.

The face that held these ‘eyes’ was glowing like a dying lamppost, connected to a surveillance camera style head with a bar sticking out the top to hold the purple cloak he wore out of his face. A dark green liquid pumped in and out of this face, and the neck seemed to have a broken spring wrapped around it to act like a necklace. A device was hooked up to the hood that appeared to be some sort of heart, three separate compartments working to the rhythm of the game show music. Out of one sleeve came a clawed hand, clearly painted to look like a glove, while the other arm was just some sort of plastic orb filled with a mysterious liquid of its own.

It wore shorts, kinda. The pants were made of flower pots and tubing, giving this sense of fashion that might’ve been popular far too long ago, holding his legs in place which were really just two beams like a skeletal shin bone. The feet were some sort of sheet metal welded together with the tops of the feet that weren’t sharpened into ‘toes’ painted red to act as shoes.

Oh, add that onto the fact D-002 was four feet tall. Even Cho was taller than him, if only by two or three inches.

After bowing and thanking us for coming, D-002 got up on the stage the wheel was held on. “Thank you, Thank you! You’re a lovely audience.”

Trust me; it took actual effort not to laugh at our apparent host. Chuu didn’t have that type of resistance, though, bursting into laughter.

“The hell are you wearing?!” He pointed and laughed. “You look like a Halloween decoration that got rejected from a boy band!”

D-002 was a robot. That much was certain as he took that as a compliment and continued. “I see we have a heckler in the audience! That’s fine. You won’t be heckling for much longer when I explain why you’re all here!”

D-002 took a step back as a drum roll played from somewhere in his chest.

“Ladies and gentlemen... We’re going to play! But not just any old Scrabble or Monopoly... it’s not a Murder Party, or a massacre sport, or even a slaughter entertainment! IIIIIIIIIT’S...”

The drum roll stopped.

“A KILLING GAME!”

And there was the canned applause again. Nobody was clapping, so it was clear D-002 would have to make his own. Nobody moved- nobody spoke.

Why was that? Well, there was a good reason.

All of us were aware of what a killing game was. They’d been all over the news recently- a team of four, working together to end every killing game they could. Avoid dark areas at night. Hope’s Peak was no longer safe during night. Soon there were guards on campus and everyone had to take a psychology test...

But... The last killing game had been six months ago. I’d watched it being taken down on the news. People got arrested. Students were saved. Hugs were had. I’d found a hero in the girl with the bottle necklace; well, and a crush, but that was irrelevant.

This... This wasn’t supposed to happen. To anyone, anymore.

I think Chuu recognised that, because he piped up. “The... The killing games are over. That team on the news, they...”

“They took care of the games, yes, I know!” D-002 clasped his orb into his claw. “But I have been preparing for such a day! By destroying all the killing games, they made the world safe- safe until I got rebooted!”

Sun-Sing shivered intensely. “They... They destroyed you! They destroyed all the Monounits!”

“They destroyed all _BUT ONE_ of the Monounits, if I may correct you!” He pointed upwards with one of his claws to amplify that point. “D-001 was scrapped for parts, but I was left behind, never to be turned on... Until I was.”

Kenjiro pulled at his hair. “This can’t be happening... T-This can’t be happening... This is NOT happening...”

Hirota also began panicking. “Kill game? But... Kill game not allowed... kill game banned, right?”

Even Yoriko was beginning to panic. “Hah... this is a joke... A joke by the kidnapper! Yeah, that’s all...”

Hisonora sighed. I know it was him, because I felt his breath hit the top of my head. “Everyone, calm down... we all need to--”

“I’m. Not. Done!” D-002 struck a pose on each word. “You see, you all have three things in common! Something I made absolutely sure to keep in my vast mind as I scowered the internet plain for potential students to my personal game!”

I looked around. Something in common...?

“Number ONE!” He made the lights around the room turn into ‘1’s as he explained. “You are, will be or were students of Hope’s Peak academy! This is a required field for the killing games, of course! I made sure to do my homework!”

“Is that why there’s a child here, you sick fuck?!” Yuno yelled at him.

“And why I’m here too...” Akako said to herself.

Cho covered her ears. “I don’t like it... Make him go away!”

“NUMBER TWO!” The ‘1’s turned into ‘2’s as D-002 continued on relentlessly. “All of you are either directly or indirectly involved with the students of the killing game that my brother unit was destroyed!”

I blinked twice. “W-What?”

“We’re all...” Kukiko made a weird face. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t need to!” D-002 pointed at someone in the crowd. “After all, Sung-Sin will tell you the truth! Won’t you?!”

I felt the entire crowd turn to her as Chuu took charge of the questioning. “The hell does he mean?!”

Sun-Sing sniffled. “I-I don’t know! I don’t know... I don’t know what he’s talking about! A-All I know is... This...”

She shuddered, letting Hisonora let go of her.

“This... isn’t my first killing game.” She gritted her teeth. “I... I was in another one. Around two years ago... one that I survived.”

“You survived a killing game?!” Kane seemed to immediately forget the stakes. “That’s amazing! You must be so strong to do something like that!”

“Oi! Eyes back to me, boys and girls!” D-002 waggled his fingers. “I’ve still got... NUMBER THREE!”

The lights turned to ‘3’s.

“Each and every one of you, in this room right now, indirectly or directly...” Another drum roll began, and I found myself just wanting it to be over.

When he did finish his sentence however...

“Committed murder!”

My blood ran cold. I wanted to puke. I looked frantically to the others. All of them... had... they’d killed before? I... I was included in that list, too. We’d all committed murder.

Behind me, I heard D-002 laugh alongside audience laughter, too. Everyone was now eyeing each other with a combination of fear and suspicion. I think they’d come to the same conclusion I had; if they’d done it once, they could do it again.

But... that would mean...

“C-Cho...” I couldn’t stop myself. “You... You killed someone?”

Cho looked to me, tears in her eyes. “No! No! No, I’d never hurt anyone! I’d never kill people! That’s wrong! I wouldn’t!”

Yoriko was able to qualm the terror. “Hold it. D-002 said ‘indirectly’, too. There’s a chance that some of us have never laid hands on another, yet were still responsible for death.”

Still didn’t paint anyone in the best light, but I bit my tongue and let D-002 finish.

“Now we are aware of the rules, allow me to mention something special!” D-002 motioned to us all like a priest to his choir. “I’m always a big fan of special prizes, so I would like to extend a generous offer to anyone who’d be willing to kill another person to escape!”

Hisonora cupped his hands over Cho’s ears.

“IF you get out scot free, with the blood of fifteen other people on your hands from a successful trial, I will grant you... your greatest desire.” D-002 snickered as an ‘oooo’ echoed from his chest. “Your greatest desire is never impossible! It just takes a very special someone to grant it! Get me?”

To my left, I heard Hirota scoff. “You can no bring back ice cap. Ice melt too far gone. You speak lie. Tiny Robot prevent global warming? No believe.”

D-002 laughed. “Ah, un de contraire! I can do far more than just prevent Global Warming... I can do SO much more...

The room grew cold as he looked us all in the eye.

“Bring back the dead...”

Yuno flinched.

“Make you rich beyond belief...”

Masa looked to the floor.

“Even manipulate the Earth into granting you the recognition you deserve.”

Cerberus made a scary giggle to himself.

“Commit murder and your greatest desire...” D-002 paused for dramatic effect. “Is yours.”

The silence that had been present at his introduction was also present as he left, opening the wheel like a door and walking through it with a hearty jaunt.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some stuff to write out!”

And like that, the door closed behind him. I looked to Chuu, who was just staring blankly ahead; at least, until he noticed I was looking at him and turned to me.

“... You...” I swallowed. “You won’t... will you?”

“Of course not.” Chuu flicked the hair out of his eyes. “I’m not too bothered about whatever this thing’s selling.”

...

As much as I knew he wasn’t lying to me...

I couldn’t believe him.

**PROLOGUE- END**

**SIXTEEN STUDENTS REMAIN. THE GAME BEGINS.**


	2. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 1

**Day 1**

Hisonora put a blanket over my shoulders as I continued shivering in fear. Everyone had gathered in the canteen; all sixteen of us.

There were some serious issues now. For one, everyone looked like they were at their lowest. Another problem was the whole ‘committed murder’ before thing. I didn’t know how to cheer anyone up- it was always Chuu doing that for me, so I...

“I killed my brother.”

I was alerted to Yoriko, sitting at the far back of the room on his own. It really felt that sudden- we were all just sitting in the canteen, made for twenty people mind you, with silence weighing on our every conscience when he spat that out like a bullet. He didn’t wait for anyone to stop him, either, as he continued on with no respect for boundaries.

“Yeah... I killed my brother. Guy was a drug abuser; he could barely function without these stupid cocaine-stuffed pills. I hated him. One night, he comes back- reeks of vomit and shit...”

“Hey!” Cho pouted. “Language, please!”

“... and he wants me to give him money for his pills. I deny him, he gets violent... I push him into the counter and kill him.” Yoriko motions with his hands. “I didn’t try to hide the body. The police took one look at the footage and determined I’d killed him in self-defence; I get a five-year prison sentence from 13-18 years old, and he gets a fancy casket.”

Of all the things I expected to start a conversation THAT was the last thing I could list. Everyone seemed to mumble and stir, the confidence that Yoriko had shown for his speech got a few people talking.

Specifically, Kane first.

“Well, if that’s what I have to do to get you all to stop fretting over me...” Kane cleared his throat, standing up. “I... uh... I forgot to turn the hob off one night when I left for one of my tutoring sessions. My house burnt to the ground... and the neighbouring one too. A pair of elderly pair living inside... didn’t even know it was happening. They died in their sleep.”

“That’s indirect, right?” Hisonora asked. “So, both Yoriko and Kane were indirect with their kills... anyone here actually kill with intent?”

I looked to Chuu. He shook his head at me.

“Me.” Cerberus then stood up as Kane sat down. “I have sacrificed people to my chosen Deity. People willing to give their lives for the same cause I worshipped, of course.”

“If we’re being honest about it...” Motosuki drummed his fingers on the table. “I did, uh, stab a guy after he wronged me in the bathrooms of one of my gigs. Guy promised me he’d hook me up with this sweet chain, but ended up selling it to some douche with a quiff. Never did see what happened to him... guess I know now.”

“I am... unaware of what I could’ve done,” Chuu lied. “Direct, Indirect... guess it doesn’t matter if I don’t know if I did it, huh?”

My silence must’ve caught Hirota’s attention, because she was quick to shake my shoulder. “Osen... you look pale. You need restroom?”

Chuu eyed me again. I saw him voice words at me, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“I...”

“Osen, no.”

“I committed murder.” I swallowed, ignoring the anger in Chuu’s face. “I just... he was a bully that Chuu and I had been dealing with for a long time, and...”

“Osen, that’s enough!” Chuu demanded. “You don’t need to tell them anything.”

Hisonora chuckled at his rage. “Well, it seems that Chuu remembered why he’s here, huh?”

“Bastard...” He mumbled.

Well, that was seven of us who’d admitted the truth. Now it was just the case of getting the others to admit the truth.

Sun-Sing certainly didn’t seem up to do it. Neither did Cho, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get her to admit anything, to be honest. Despite his friendliness, I doubted Hisonora would say anything important, and I’d even go as far as to label Kenjiro as the avid denier of his murderous intent.

Yuno and Akako were keeping to themselves. Masa could barely string a sentence together, let alone tell the truth just like that. Hirota probably didn’t know the words to use and Kukiko had no ill intentions in her voice. Umon was a clown, so of course he was a murderer.

Guess it really came down to personal issues. How many of them were so messed up in the head that they’d admit something like that?

“... My...”

Before Sun-Sing could continue, Chuu got really upset. He got up, storming about the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

“How the fuck are you all about to treat this like it’s a basic thing?!” He ranted. “You’re all sick in the head if you think that admitting murder is what’s going to bring us together!”

I tried to speak. “We’ve all--”

“I don’t give a shit!” He screeched back, causing me to flinch and look at the floor. “You can pussyfoot around it all you like! Fucking all of you can! At the end of the day, if I have to be the only one here who can string together a coherent idea of what the fuck’s going on, I’ll do it alone!”

“No! No, no do that.” Hirota got up. “Chuu, we stick together. We make robot angry by being good. No need to hurt each other like this!”

Chuu roared with actual fury. “Don’t you fucking get it?! You’re fucked! We’re ALL fucked! Everyone here is FUCKED!”

Then, just to add fuel to the fire... D-002 strolled in.

“Salutations, Hapless Students!” D-002 waved, making an effort. “What are we talking about here on this fine day?”

... A rock flew past my head. In the five seconds I took my eyes of Chuu... he’d removed a slingshot from his back pocket, and had fired a rock with accuracy into D-002’s skull.

... D-002 reacted how I expected him to.

“OH!” D-002’s head flew backwards dramatically. “OH! Oh, you got me! Oh my blood! It is indeed bleeding everywhere! This is it for me!”

Hisonora pinched his nose. “Your head looks like a shower nozzle.”

D-002 glared at Hisonora, instantly snapping out of his over-dramatic routine. “Oh, stop ruining my bit. Please! You really think that dinky little thing would be enough to punch a hole through my titanium infused alloy?!”

Chuu was already loading another rock into the slingshot. “I’ve got more where that came from, fucker!”

“Where the hell did you get that thing...?” Yuno asked.

“Found it in the weapon room,” Chuu replied, pulling back the elastic again. “Couldn’t hide a gun. Couldn’t hide a bow and arrow. Had to take the slingshot.”

Chuu let the next rock rip, once again bouncing off D-002’s face with a metallic ‘thunk’. At this point it was just kinda stupid- Chuu was putting another rock into the slingshot, and D-002 looked less that pleased.

Kenjiro then piped up. “Hey, isn’t this like... redundant? If this thing can take one rock, I’m sure he can take anything else we throw at him.”

“Shut. Up.” Chuu pelted the third rock at D-002. That one, of course, didn’t work either. At this point, it was clear Chuu was now just showing off his short fuse and temper.

D-002 was still joking about, however. “You hit me with another rock, and I’ll have you _GRAVELLING _on your knees!”

And there was the canned laughter again. That just pissed Chuu off even more, and he grabbed the last rock from the table, pulling it back with a powerful stance.

“You’re taking life for _Granite _here, Chuu!” D-002 laughed with his audience. “Trust me, your strategy is bold- but my punishment is _boulder!_”

“FUCK OFF!”

Chuu fired the last rock. Except, this one didn’t hit. This one was caught by the robot, who proceeded to throw it back with impeccable speed and unbridled accuracy. The slingshot broke in two, right out of Chuu’s hand, and he was left standing with that rage in his face that I’d known for far longer than anyone else.

D-002 then jumped up on the table as well. His four foot didn’t seem impressive at first, but compared to Chuu’s five foot two it was certainly not a big difference. I didn’t need to imagine what was going to happen next- I’d heard of ‘punishments’ in killing games. I stood up, ready to defend him, but I didn’t get a chance when D-002 made the ‘oooo’ play out of his chest again.

“So... I didn’t expect this so early, but... Looks like we’ll be playing one of my games, huh?” D-002 made a thinking pose. “I didn’t wanna do it, but you’ll be my sorry sign to the others- _andesine it’ll be!”_

Motosuki groaned. “Oh, you fucking shoe-horned that one.”

I jumped up on the table too, getting between the pair. “Wait! Wait, you can’t do this!”

“What? Just because he’s your best friend doesn’t mean he gets special immunity! Chuu needs punishment... he injured me! I’m in so much pain I can barely stop myself from screaming out in it!”

“You certainly don’t seem to be in much pain...” Masa growled under her breath.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I ask you to all meet me in the game room!” D-002 then made that false whisper people do in movies to address the audience. “That’s the place I met you all for the first time.”

I couldn’t even reach out to Chuu in fear when D-002 jumped onto his shoulders, hiding his eyes with his tendril arm and forcing him to walk his way to the game room. Doing so actually made my head begin to hurt again, and I dropped to my knees gripping the half of my bandaged head.

Chuu... he’d... He’d done this to himself, right? He’d made the wrong choice. He’d chosen to attack D-002, because he was angry yes, but that was why he was about to be punished.

But... But if I’d stopped him, maybe he wouldn’t be being punished. Maybe he wouldn’t be in this situation had I actually gotten involved.

It was my fault. That’s how this worked, after all... Everything I did got him into trouble. I should’ve tried to calm him down... I should’ve...

“Osen!” Hisonora gripped my shoulders. “Hey, girl, snap out of it. What’s going on with you?”

I repeated my worries to Hisonora. “It’s... It’s my fault... this happened...”

“No, it’s not,” Hisonora said back. “Why? What on Earth do you think caused this to happen?”

“If I had...” I tried to reason it. “If I hadn’t... said anything, and... just stayed quiet...”

Hisonora seemed to get some sort of recollection on his face when I said that. I guess he just didn’t understand why I’d blame myself like this. Chuu and I had been close enough that he knew that he should be able to rely on me. I let him down... I let him down...

And then, there was someone else speaking to me.

“Osen...” Sun-Sing moved Hisonora out of the way. “Osen, listen to me. This isn’t your fault. It may seem like it, but it isn’t. Chuu was just too quick to break the rules.”

Somehow, the difference in Sun-Sing’s voice helped me realise that. Hisonora laughed, scratching the back of his head as he left Sun-Sing and I behind.

Sun-Sing hugged me, and then helped me down from the table. “Come on. Let’s... go see what’s going on, okay?”

I nodded, letting her lead me by the hand to the game room. There, D-002 was busy fastening Chuu into a chair, somehow avoiding getting head butted as he did.

I pushed through the crowd, standing at the front. “Leave him alone, D-002!”

“Ah! Hello, everyone!” D-002 finished up what he was doing, turning back to reveal the situation Chuu was in. “As you can see, you’re just in time to play the Punishment Game!”

Yoriko stood next to me, cracking his knuckles. “Alright, what’s the situation? How do we get Chuu out of this?”

I appreciated his enthusiasm, but it was clear Yoriko was just saying that so that I wouldn’t worry that nobody was helping. Hisonora also stepped forward, as did Sun-Sing and Akako, but Akako was probably only doing it to follow everyone’s footsteps.

Chuu, however, then yelled out. “Get the fuck back!”

Everyone except me did as they were told, and to my surprise Chuu correctly called something I wasn’t expecting. A cage dropped over me, putting me in the same dire situation that he was.

“OSEN!” He yelled, struggling. “Let her go! I swear to god I will MURDER you, rust bucket!”

D-002 ignored his demand, skipping down the stairs to look at me like an animal at the zoo. I was personally afraid of him now- I backed away, pushing myself against the bars, but D-002 simply snickered at me and made some distance.

“So! We’ve got two participants- unwilling, I know. So, we’re going to play a PUNISHMENT GAME!” The fake audience applauded that. “The rules are simple! Answer the questions correctly...”

D-002 suddenly dropped his game-show host demeanour, just for the briefest of sentences.

“Or you die.”

The other students were then tossed into a glass box- well, the glass box fell on top of them and trapped them all inside- as D-002 regained his usual talking.

“No audience participation, fellas! Let’s begin!” D-002 twirled into what appeared to be an announcer’s booth. “IIIIIT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

Chuu yelled at him. “I’m gonna break you, you damn bitch!”

I yelled at Chuu instead. “Stop it! We’ll get through this. Please, just stop...”

D-002 made a drum roll. “QUESTION 1!”

Much like when he was explaining the common traits between us, the lights on the walls flicked to a ‘1’.

I got ready, even though I didn’t exactly know what was going to happen.

“WHAT... Is the capital of France?” D-002 laughed.

“Paris, obviously,” I responded. “Marked by the Eiffel tower, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”

Chuu gave me a dirty look. I realised almost immediately what was going on- especially when question two was about Rome and when it was built.

D-002 was giving us trivia questions, the kind that we’d have learnt in Hope’s Peak. Of course, that was good for me- not so much for Chuu, who wasn’t fond of the tests or the exams that we got presented in these classes. D-002 had specifically tailored these questions towards me.

That much was obvious from the way I was answering the questions.

“That would be Nigeria. They’re also known for their butterfly diversity.”

“That was around 220 B.C... you did say within five years, right?”

“Oh, that’s... bronze. I think we switched from bronze to iron because it was easier to find?”

I couldn’t help it. It was compulsion; a nervous twitch. If I could answer, I would. All the while, D-002 continued to inflate my ego while simultaneously devastating my hope that I could save Chuu from this.

“That’s 13-0! Come on, Chuu, Osen’s crushing you!”

“22-0 to Osen! Come on, Chuu, keep up!”

“36-0! God, Chuu, what are you doing?!”

“48-0... Christ, Chuu, this is embarrassing!”

Soon after that remark, I was simply stood with tears in my eye. Chuu was just looking at me, the fear finally settling in. We were on question 50.

“And the final question, not like it matters, is this!” D-002 laughed. “What is the name given to dents that cowboys would put into their rifles?”

Huh, I actually didn’t know this one. I’d never really studied western times... Guess that was one that Chuu was gonna get right. I looked up at him, seeing his face was blank, and I immediately took back the thought I had.

Did... Did he really not know? Or...

Or was he holding back?

Eventually, a buzzer sounded, and D-002 continued speaking. “Time’s up! The answer was notches. Chuu, what’s wrong? You didn’t get a single one right!”

I looked to him. “C-Chuu...?”

“Just... shut up, Osen.” He looked away, still strapped to the chair.

The cage was lifted from me, and I immediately tried to run forwards as it did. However, the sudden sound of something landing behind me caught me off guard. I turned around, seeing that where I’d just been standing had a knife implanted in the floor. Chuu roared as I saw it.

“God Damn it, D-002!”

“Hey, I gave her freedom, didn’t I?” D-002 laughed. “You didn’t answer the question, so her life got put in danger.”

I swallowed. What on earth was he talking about?

That’s when the glass box lifted, and all the others ran out. Hisonora immediately charged for Chuu’s restraints, beginning to unlock them sporadically. I was still in shock and confusion.

Then, Sun-Sing tackled me into a hug, and I was brought into the realisation when she spoke.

“The cage... it had a counter on the back that read ‘50’.” Sun-Sing explained. “We could hear everything, and... Hisonora understood what was happening.”

“What...?” I looked to her, still so puzzled.

“Every time you answered a question, the counter ticked down,” She explained further. “But there was a knife, hanging above the cage, which had ‘1’ on the counter instead. If... If Chuu had answered any of those questions...”

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. I knew it would’ve ended in death. However, that also meant that Chuu didn’t answer a single question because...

Chuu got his restraints taken off, and he instantly dove off the stage to pull me into a deviously warm hug. I hugged back as he grumbled something I didn’t expect to here.

“Don’t ever let me be that stupid again.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I could’ve gotten you killed today. I could’ve killed my best friend.”

I whispered sweet nothings into his ear. “It’s alright... It’s okay... calm down, we’re safe now. We’re safe.”

Hisonora looked to D-002, who was watching with an almost compliant look. “Is that everything, or are you upset your ‘game’ didn’t end in bloodshed?”

“Oh no! I’m perfectly content. After all, this is exactly what I planned!” D-002 rubbed his claws together, making that sound that you’d hear professional chefs make by rubbing their cooking knives together. “Now I’ve established what I intend to do, you guys know what to look out for! After all, we’ll be playing a game like this every... day!”

Hirota responded meekly. “This happen daily? This happen daily?!”

“Yep! I’ll be taking the person that I like the least every day to use as one of the players, and then any one of you can decide to be the other participant.” D-002 laughs, this time more to himself than at us. “It’s really up to you guys who the other one will be. I only caught Osen this time because she was y’know, a friend of Chuu.”

Chuu looked at D-002 with almost flaming eyes.

“Welp! That’s everything! By the way, it is officially NIGHT TIME! You may do whatever you want still, but the gym is locked at night. So is the game room. Of course, it’s not locked now, but it will be when you leave.”

The word ‘leave’ triggered me to do as I was told. Behind me, the footsteps of everyone following echoed. Right as Yuno swaggered her way out of the dark hallway, the bars to the game room’s corridor dropped again, locking us all out. Sure enough, it appeared night time came with restrictions to where we could go.

Hisonora pointed that out. “So, we can go to the canteen, kitchen, medical wing, lobby and lounge. Then, of course, the bedrooms.

Akako huffed. “I’m going to sleep. Nobody watch me while I sleep, please!”

“Wasn’t planning to...” Kenjiro muttered, which just caused Akako to get flustered and stammer a ‘stupid’ at him while she left.

“Well, she’s certainly my type,” Yuno laughed to herself. As she followed, she swayed her hips, causing all the boys who cared to look and myself to go red with a lustful thought.

“God, she’s beautiful...” Kane spluttered.

“Round melon breasts, hourglass figure...” Motosuki looked extremely haughty as he spoke. “She taunts us so with her perfect body... God, I’m salivating!”

“What I wouldn’t pay to get five minutes alone in a room with her,” Umon stated, licking his lips.

“Five minutes?” Kenjiro scoffed. “She’d probably put you down in two pumps.”

I looked to the boys as they tried desperately to act casual about the barely-clothed woman making them all stand at attention. I guess I was lucky I didn’t have anything to hide when I got excited.

Besides my face, and my tongue, of course.

Then, I was brutally reminded of a certain issue in the room.

“What are you talking about?” Cho asked innocently.

“Ah Fu- Fri- Hell, sorry, Cho.” Motosuki slapped his cheeks, punishing himself for his lust. “Alright! I’m gonna goooo... I dunno. To my room.”

Kenjiro snickered. “Gonna go ‘meditate’ huh buddy?”

Motosuki slugged his arm. “Shut your mouth, doc. I’m sure you’d love to be ‘meditating’ too.”

“Alright, stop with that,” Masa interjected thankfully. “If I may be frank for a moment, perhaps it’d be best if we all get some sleep. Today was a rollercoaster of emotion, and I’d like to take some time to think about it... yes?”

Sun-Sing cleared her throat. “Um, actually... I’m not tired, so I guess I’ll just head to the lounge.”

Hisonora shrugged. “I’ll put a pot of coffee on and join you with that idea, Sun-Sing.”

Masa bit her lip, clearly not happy with that decision, but kept it to herself. Sun-Sing and Hisonora strolled down the hallway, both taking their separate directions, leaving me to sigh.

And then from behind me...

“She’s kinda hot too, huh?” Motosuki asked Kenjiro.

“Sun-Sing? Yeah, in that kind of...” Kenjiro clicked his fingers a bunch. “Cute-through-strength type of way.”

Cho huffed. “I don’t wanna go to bed! Mom always makes me go to sleep at eight in the evening and I hate it!”

Masa took her by the hand. “Well, while we’re here, I’m your mother. Come on, it’s time for you to sleep.”

Cerberus laughed. “I will also be sleeping. I need to rest up for tomorrow’s prayers.”

Cho whined as she was led away to the bedrooms, followed by Cerberus and then Umon who didn’t say a word. I looked back, seeing that Hirota, Kane and Kukiko had gone to the canteen in the time I’d been watching the hallway, leaving me, Chuu, Motosuki, Kenjiro and Yoriko.

Yoriko drummed his fingers on his crossed arm. “Well, I’m not sleeping anytime soon either... I need to map this place out, look for potential escape routes. I may not BE a detective, but I’m gonna put my skills to work.”

Kenjiro wavered on his words. “I’m going to the medical wing. I was trying to count the medical supplies... lost count.”

Motosuki grinned. “And _I _am going to go to bed thinking about how I could potentially get Yuno to ride my face. See you all in the morning!”

And like that, they left as well, leaving me alone with Chuu. I looked to him, and he looked to me.

“... Well, um...” Chuu rolled his eyes. “Goodnight, I guess.”

“... Show me the weapon room, Chuu.”

“Huh?” He flashed me a suspicious look. “What? Why?”

I crossed my arms, pouting. It was enough for him to take me straight there, through the lobby and into the room beyond the door behind the desk. It had indeed been barricaded, pretty pathetically to be honest as I was able to walk straight in.

Like I expected, the room was chock full of guns and blades and things like that. The only thing missing was a slingshot from its holding spot at the far back, which I knew the location of- broken in two pieces in the canteen.

“This place is a death-trap.” I said it, but I knew Chuu was thinking it. “We need to lock this place down. Now.”

“We tried,” Chuu pointed at the boxes in front of the door.

“They’re not enough! We need to like, lock this door and throw the key away!”

Chuu sighed. “Osen, we don’t have a key.”

I sighed back. “Then we need to have someone watching the door. Nobody should be able to go into this room unless it’s absolutely necessary...”

Chuu then grabbed my shoulders. “Osen.”

I realised I was rambling again. “S-Sorry...”

“It’s alright. Let’s just... talk about this tomorrow, okay? When everyone’s actually awake to do so.” Chuu patted my shoulder. “I promise, we’ll talk about this tomorrow. For now, let’s get some sleep.”

I realised he was right. After all, if only we knew the rules I wanted to put in place, there would be no point. I let Chuu take me by the hand, taking me down the hall and to my bedroom- the room I’d woken up in.

“You going to be okay?” He asked. I nodded. “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, so be safe.”

Then, he walked up the corridor, heading inside the far right room. I went inside my own room, closing the door gently before walking to my bed and settling into it. It wasn’t comfy, but it wasn’t exactly rugged either... bearable was as far as I was going to for it.

I pulled the admittedly snug blanket over me, hearing a sad song in my head as I tried to get comfortable on the pillow.

So this was our life now. Trapped inside somewhere, forced to play D-002’s specific games.

Trapped.

Like a prison. A prison for the murderers of Hope’s Peak...

I found myself laughing as tears escaped my face.

How ironic.

**DAY END**


	3. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 2(A)

I, uh...

I didn’t sleep that night.

How could I? I was far too worried about the situation we were in. Honestly, I’d rather be in prison than get kidnapped and forced to play a killing game. Sitting up and looking around, I felt my eye water when I saw that it was just more of the same.

I got up out of bed, walking into the hallway. What time was it? There were no clocks, no windows, and no looks into the outside world. It could be midnight right now and I have no idea.

... No, wait; I know how I could tell. I walked down the hallway, straight into the door room, pushing on the door with a lot of force to crack it open.

Daylight streamed through it, lighting up the dust of the area like a streamer. If I had to guess, it was around morning time, perhaps early afternoon.

To my surprise, I was the only one awake- at least, the only one awake that was around, anyway. I headed back through the hallway, into the kitchen and straight to the kettle, flicking it on. There was electricity in the facility, which was also pretty surprising- I’d half expected to have to cook our food on fire like cavemen.

I turned to the sink above the mirror. The bandages were disgusting looking, so I decided to pull them away, seeing what was going on underneath. However, I found myself instantly regretting that decision when I looked at the scarred tissue of an empty eye socket.

The kidnapper had torn out my left eye. No, not ‘torn’- he’d mutilated it, making the half that had once been covered in bandages into a warzone of broken tissue and bruised muscle. No wonder I’d been having dizzy spells- all I had to do was poke it to see that the scratches were infected, too, even after Kenjiro had apparently fixed it.

I wiped away the dark blood that came from the socket, whimpering in pain. Luckily for me, that’s when Kenjiro actually came through into the kitchen behind me.

“Oh, hey- Osen!” He ran to my side. On instinct, I tried to hide the scene, but when he turned me to face him I remembered that he’d probably seen it before. “Oh, Christ, it’s infected... um... Okay, come on, we need to replace the bandages.”

Kenjiro took me by the hand, leading me out the kitchen next door to the medical office. There, he did an impromptu check up on me.

“Does it hurt?” He asked gently.

“A-A lot...” I replied honestly.

“I tried my best to fix you up,” he explained as he gave me some painkillers, “but I just... I couldn’t. I disinfected the wound and everything! Why did it get infected?”

I didn’t exactly want to lecture an M.D. on how to do his job, but...

“Did you change the bandages while I was asleep?” I asked. The look on his face was all I needed. “... You didn’t. You should’ve changed them regularly! You just left the wound to fester!”

Kenjiro pulled at his scrubs. “Shit... Shit, I... I should’ve remembered, I...”

I grimaced, resisting the urge to claw at the infected wound. Seeing my hand move to the eye but stopping, Kenjiro realised that it was probably too much for me to handle.

“Okay, hang on... I’m going to disinfect some bandages and re-apply them, okay?” He grabbed a bottle of white gloop and a bottle of clear liquid, tipping them both into a mixing bowl. “Numbing agent for the pain, disinfectant for the infection... it’ll feel weird, but it’ll stop the pain.”

I shivered as said pain grew. “P-Please hurry...”

“We can’t rush this!” Kenjiro grabbed a roll of bandages, professionally cutting and sticking them into the mixture. “That’s how we got into this situation in the first place! Just hold on like ten seconds, please!”

That’s when I finally cried out, the pain getting too much, and Kenjiro realised that I wasn’t going to be able to last that long. He grabbed what he could, slicking off the mixture so it wasn’t too thick on the bandage and pushed it against the wounds.

To say the pain blossomed would mean the pain was like a flower. No, this pain was like a forest fire, spreading all over my face as tears escaped me. Those tears were also accommodated by a screech of pure agony, one that caused Kenjiro to flinch hard, but he continued to wrap the bandages. I swear, I heard the sound of bubbling skin under the bandages, hissing like cooking meat.

Kenjiro finished wrapping as much as he could as I pounded the chair arm I sat in with my palm. “I know! I know, I know. Please, don’t touch them! I’m working as fast as I can.”

“DEAR GOD, TAKE THEM OFF!” I cried out. “IT HURTS! PLEASE!”

“It’s going to! Infection amplifies the pain.” Kenjiro realised I was losing the will to be strong. “Please, Osen, just hold on. It’ll go numb in about two minutes, I promise! God, this is all my fault...”

My hand reached for the bandage. He held both my hands, and I squeezed them tight enough that I swore I saw him grit his teeth.

...

Eventually...

Eventually, the pain did stop. He was right. I didn’t even notice it fading at first- one moment I feel like I’m about to die, and the next moment it’s no more than a pin prick. I felt almost stupid for being so loud about it.

Well, until Kenjiro let go of my hands and explained what was going on now.

“Okay... how do you feel?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Try not to touch your bandages, okay? Not because it’ll mess with the healing process or anything, but because it’ll feel really weird.”

I immediately stood up, hugging into him. “Thank you.”

Kenjiro didn’t know how to react, and chose to just pat my head. “O-Okay?”

I let him go. “Do... Do you think the others heard that, or...?”

“Oh, definitely,” He replied, “and we’re probably going to have to deal with the fallout of it, but at least you’re going to survive.”

Against his wishes, I did end up touching the bandages when he turned his back to me. It had formed over my face like papier-mâché at that point, and poking it gave the feeling of some sort of water balloon; a water balloon that left absolutely no feeling on my face. The pain had completely vanished at this point, replaced with that tingly feeling you get with pins and needles. I don’t know if I preferred that.

Kenjiro smiled at me then. “So, how’s a coffee sound?”

I nodded. We walked together out of the room, into the kitchen where Kukiko was busy fixing herself breakfast of egg and... More egg, it seemed.

I waved, trying to be friendly. “Hello, Kukiko.”

“Bluebell. Aloe Vera...” She didn’t even look at us as we came in. “You woke me up, dears.”

“Oh... sorry about that,” I said glumly. “Kenjiro was re-applying my bandages.”

Kenjiro backed me up by taking the blame. “I had to fix the infection she’s developed. Oh, speaking of- don’t remove those bandages, Osen. Not until tomorrow, when I can replace them.”

“Of course,” I replied.

Kukiko scoffed. “You take your medical prowess incredibly, Aloe Vera! As expected of the Ultimate M.D.”

Kenjiro laughed nervously to himself. Seems he wasn’t one for compliments.

“I have affixed you coffee,” Kukiko continued. “See this as my forgiveness for you waking me up.”

Sure enough, two cups were on the table in the middle of the room. I took one, sipping it, tasting the sweet black liquid that I adored. It certainly helped me reminisce on what happened and had been happening for a while.

“... Killing game...”

I found myself saying that. Kukiko paused her cooking, looking over her shoulder at me. “Don’t mention it.”

“S-Sorry, I...”

“It’s fine.” Kukiko growled. “I just don’t enjoy dwelling on it, Bluebell. I mean, we can say all we like that we don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to commit murder, and then...”

“And then someone does.” Kenjiro finished the sentence, drumming his fingers on his cup. “Just a case of who will crack first.”

Kukiko sliced the top off her hard-boiled egg, “Disturbing how far a man can fall when presented with an unwinnable situation.”

That rose another question, one that I wanted answered.

“Didn’t D-002 say... we were all related to people from another killing game? The one where his ‘brother’ was destroyed?” I’d finished my coffee by that point. “What do you think he meant by that?”

“Well, he told us to ask Sun-Sing,” Kenjiro responded. “Guess that’ll be our best chance of learning, huh?”

Kukiko nodded. “The Sunflower seems to know more than she’s letting on.”

That sparked a conversation between the two, so I decided to leave. As I opened the door, however, in walked Chuu, who instantly began cursing out Kenjiro, but I wasn’t in the mood to try and stop him so I let him push past me and left.

Looking up towards the canteen, I saw Masa talking to Cho. I walked to them, waving as I did, but I considering neither of them responded to the fact I was there I assumed they didn’t see me.

“I don’t wanna brush my teeth!” Cho huffed. “It’s boring!”

“Do you want your teeth to fall out, dear?” Masa was holding a toothbrush in her hand, trying to put it in Cho’s mouth and failing. “I just don’t want you to have bad teeth. My mother did, and she had to wear dentures when she turned forty.”

Cho pushed the end of the toothbrush away. “Why do you care so much about me?! You’re not my mom! Leave me alone!”

Cho ran the opposite direction, straight into the canteen. Masa stood up straight, taking a deep breath.

“I mean...” I spoke, a little too loudly. “She’s right.”

Masa sighed in my direction. “Unfortunately, that’s my job. I have to be as friendly to children as possible, while still trying to keep them from falling into bad habits. Hence my title.”

Ultimate Housewife...

“However, my title is not just for children. It’s for adults, too... specifically, young adults. Can I get you anything, Osen?”

I shook my head. “No thank you, Masa. I’m not hungry at the moment... Maybe later?”

Masa did curtsies. I did one as well, laughing at the idea of doing it. When she walked to the kitchen, I went into the canteen, seeing Cho was throwing a tantrum now, sitting in the corner of the room while Kane and Motosuki talked between each other.

I walked over, wanting to join them. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Osen.” Kane waved. “I was just discussing some music stuff with Motosuki.”

Motosuki didn’t seem impressed, to be honest. “Just because I’m an ARTIST doesn’t mean I have to paint. I’m a musical artist, not one of those ‘happy little tree’ fellas.”

“Yeah, I get that, but why call yourself an ‘alternative artist’ if ‘DJ’ fits you better?” Kane got straight back into the conversation as I sat next to him. “Then you won’t have people like me questioning why your talent doesn’t involve music in it.”

Motosuki hit him with a hard shrug. “Dude, as the Academy. They put my talent as just straight ‘Artist’ for no good reason. Now I have to take these trashy classes with a woman going ‘paint this, paint that’- Bitch, I can barely draw hands correctly! How the fuck am I supposed to paint this realistic river in seven brush strokes?!”

Kane had barely kept up with Motosuki’s ramblings. He just blinked, looking at me with fear in his eyes, so I decided to take over for him.

“Well, did you write ‘alternative artist’ on your application sheet?” I asked.

“I mean, YEAH.” He responded. “But then they’ve got that ‘explain why you want this talent’ slot too, and I told them how about I was all up in the music business.”

I rubbed my nose. “You realise the applicants don’t read that part, right?”

“They fucking DON’T?!”

I laughed. Kane also laughed, just not to the same degree. That left Motosuki in a moping mood, so I got up and headed over to Cho, who heard me approaching and harrumphed in my direction.

“Hey.”

“Go away. I’m angry.”

“And I can see that. You sure you don’t wanna come sit with us?” I motioned to the other guys.

“I’m sure.” She crossed her arms and legs. “I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

I tutted, sitting down behind her, much like did with Sun-Sing. “Well, do you want to talk about it?”

“... Yes.”

“Then say it. I’m good to talk with.” I stayed patient. “You’re a good kid, Cho. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to anyone, so...”

After a short beat of pause, Cho turned to me with a big smile on her face. “Nyah-hah-hah! Okay!” Her laughter was adorably cute, a laugh that only a child could have. It just made me realise that she was younger than me, and that made my heart go cold, even after she began telling me very child-like complaints.

This girl... this nine year old girl, with her hair buns and her shirt that was too big for her, had committed murder. I didn’t even care if it was accidental... at this point, murder seemed far beyond anything she could do.

Eventually, everyone began gathering into the canteen. All but Sun-Sing and Hisonora, who appeared to be something of a power duo at this point.

Yuno was the last to enter, her beautiful body still on display. “Morning, saddos!”

Akako growled gently. “Y-You don’t need to be in your uniform all the time... N-Not that I’m complaining, but...”

Somehow, we all found ourselves taking command from a girl in less clothing than the average prostitute. “Alright! This is how this is going to work- all of us are going to work together to break that door down!”

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Umon asked. “We’ve been going at it for the past five days. Now D-002’s on the prowl, it’s not like he’s going to give us the chance to do it anymore.”

“You saw what he’ll do to us,” Chuu added begrudgingly.

“And to be honest?” Yuno smirked back. “I don’t rightly care. I say we grab the weapons from the weapon room and obliterate that door.”

“Wait!” I found myself standing up. “You can’t!”

Yuno looked over at me, a confused smile on her face. “And why is that? Do you want us to start killing each other?”

“I-I never said that...” I felt myself back down slightly.

“Oh, so you want us to all stay here forever then...” Yuno got in my face, which caused Chuu to stand up too. “Is that right?”

“I never said that either! I just... We can’t use the weapons room.” I took a step back before Yuno’s breasts began pushing against my face. “We won’t be able to keep a close eye on what people have!”

“So we’ll keep a list. Easy.”

“No! Because all it takes is one person to forget to write down what they took to...” I shook my head. “That room needs to stay barricaded. We can’t risk anything.”

Yuno sighed, leaning in. “Now you listen here--”

“She’s right.”

Suddenly, we were all alerted to Hisonora, entering with Sun-Sing. She continued his train of thought. “Osen’s the one in the right here. If that weapons room isn’t blocked constantly, we’ll just constantly get the urge to try and defend ourselves.”

Yuno made a guttural noise, not used to being in the wrong it seemed. “But, we... I, if...”

Hisonora shrugged, sitting down. Sun-Sing took front and centre.

“I should explain.” Sun-Sing cleared her throat, getting attention on her instead. “As you may know, I was part of a different killing game. I and four others escaped the killing game, and all went our separate ways.”

“D-002 said we were all related to the ‘game that his brother was destroyed in’... was that your game?” I asked.

“I’m... not sure, but...” Sun-Sing adjusted her gloves. “If it was, then it’s obvious why I’m now here.”

Kukiko hummed. “Sunflower, is it possible we’re all related to you in some way? Not as siblings, but in a way we’re not aware.”

“More important...” I heard Hirota pipe up. “That mean we all have reason for be here. Do Sun-Sing know why?”

Sun-Sing answered the questions in sequence. “I doubt any of you are related to me. As for the other question... I don’t doubt that D-002 chose us all simply because we fit his criteria. Nothing more.”

“The criteria of Hope’s Peak student, related to that killing game...” Kane played with his frills. “And... committed murder.”

Hisonora blew air out of closed lips. “Well, isn’t that a humdinger.”

“Shit, dude...” Motosuki wiped off his gold tooth. “Talk about an unlucky roll of the dice, huh?”

Yuno flipped her hair back. “Oh, please. You honestly think that we’re some fateful draw? Sixteen of us, committing murder, simultaneously joining Hope’s Peak and also being related to the killing game of the past...?”

“It does seem pretty sketchy,” Masa added.

“Maybe the robot was lying!” Kane made a good point. “Maybe he’s lying to make us all suspicious of each other... Cerberus, what do you think?”

“That is a high possibility,” Cerberus mentioned. “After all, the way he put the ‘three points’ sounded like he was trying to broaden his horizons.”

When Cho gave him a confused look, Yoriko explained. “What Cerberus is saying is that D-002 tried to make the circumstances as wide as possible. After all, he didn’t say straight ‘committed murder’. He felt the need to include ‘indirectly’ and ‘directly’ as well, as if trying to include as many of us as possible.”

Sun-Sing rubbed the bare skin of her arm. “If D-002 _is_ related to that freak in my killing game... he won’t be able to tell lies, though. Even if he did, he’d have to admit the truth almost instantly after. That’s how his coding worked.”

“Tell me, Sun-Sing...” Chuu clicked his fingers at her. “How would you know something like that?”

“Well... One of my friends works for the Future Foundation,” Sun-Sing admitted. “He told me how the chip installed into the Monounit- I suppose you could call it ‘D-001’ if you like- was specifically created to host killing games in the most fair and balanced way it could. Hence why D-001 never stepped out of line with his punishments.”

Akako spoke as though she was trying to get attention. “Ah! But D-002 is a DIFFERENT Monounit, right? So isn’t it alright to assume he doesn’t follow the s-same... r-rules...?”

Hisonora had his thinking face on. It’s a face I’d grow to know throughout my time here. I looked to him, wondering if he was going to say anything, but when he simply shrugged and leant on his chair, putting his feet up on the table, I was forced to continue the talk.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be wise to consider D-002 wouldn’t be able to hurt us?” I asked Akako. “After all, yesterday, after Chuu... y’know... I was involved in his punishment even though I didn’t do anything.”

Chuu growled. “I’ll gut that pipsqueak for doing that...”

Akako also had a bit of a power surge after I agreed with her. “Yeah! That’s right! Knew I spoke up for good reason...”

Sun-Sing, who’d been standing at the front of the room since her entry, finally took a seat. “I suppose you’re right... but if D-002 was lying before, why do I get the suspicion he’s doing this because of D-001’s killing game...?”

“Could be a copycat killer scenario,” Kenjiro mentioned. “Maybe D-002’s just copying what his ‘brother’ did.”

“It’s been two years since that game...” Sun-Sing began shaking. “I really hoped I’d just be able to have my baby and finish with this stuff, but...”

Yuno twitched. “Y-You have a kid?”

Sun-Sing didn’t respond. Well... she did, but... I chose not to hear what she said.

After all, that one word would’ve stabbed me hard enough to go back against every moral I’d tried to build.

‘Had’.

The room was deadly silent after that point. Confusion and terror was consuming us again- I had to speak up.

“Let’s just...” I sighed. “Let’s take things slow, okay? There’s no need to go through all of this now. After all, it’s not even past morning yet... I think.”

Hisonora nodded to that remark. “Yeah! Nice point, Osen. I haven’t even had my coffee yet.”

With that, everyone began chirping little conversations with each other, some leaving to help with breakfast. Maybe if we could show D-002 we weren’t going to play his game, we’d have a better chance to get the answers we wanted. After all, if I was related to Sun-Sing’s killing game...

And then, his voice.

“Salutations, Hapless Students!” D-002 came out of nowhere. “How has despair treated you so far?”

“Fuck off,” Chuu answered accordingly. “Go to hell. I’m not putting up with your shit today.”

“Awww, that’s too bad!” D-002 was carrying a box, which he set noisily down in front of him. “After all, I came to deliver you your prize!”

“Prize...?” He looked at the box confusedly, leaning back in his chair.

“See, I’m off script at the moment, so I get to come visit you without that rambunctious audience behind me,” D-002 continued relentlessly. “So I thought I’d give you some special stuff a little early.”

I looked up at him as he knelt in front of me, taking one of his finger claws and slicing open the top of the box. I swear, everything he did was just to show off; he even flipped open the lid of the box in an over-dramatic manor.

“Oh me, oh my!” He then took out what appeared to be some sort of wristwatch. “Would you look at that? It’s the limited, state-of-the-art, only sixteen in existence... Monowatch!”

He handed it to me, considering I was the closest.

“Here! Try it on! See if it fits your wrist!” D-002 stared down at me with his beady red eyes. “After all... I made them special! Wouldn’t want you guys to get jealous!”

Akako huffed her way over. “Hey! I want one.”

“Please, be my guest!”

Soon after that, everyone was taking a Monowatch and putting it on their wrists. I was a little worried about mine, but I did as I was told, putting in on my non-dominant hand.

That’s my left one, if you were wondering.

I wiped the screen off, looking at the front as a red circle spun on it. “Um... What is it doing?”

“It’s registering you as its owner!” D-002 responded. “Give it a few moments. The reception down here is pretty shoddy.”

I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I swear I saw Hisonora clock that statement. Sure enough, after about five seconds, the red circle opened up, showing me my personal profile. Name, Age, Talent, Likes and Dislikes were on the first page, and on the second was my Fears, my Greatest Desire and a small description of ‘games’ I’d played. So far, I had one- the ‘Basic Trivia’ game, which I apparently won.

Cho made the point for me. “What an odd little device!”

“It gets better!” D-002 boogied his way up the table. “With this Monowatch, you can see a map of the facility you’ve got access to so far, the time and the motive!”

I chuckled. For a second, I felt happy to have such a thing on my wrist.

And then I replayed what he just said in my head, and my smile faded.

“... Motive?”

We all looked to him as he danced to a tune that I could faintly hear playing from his chest cavity. “Thaaaaat’s Right! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am presenting your first motive!”

“Wait, what?!” Yuno yelled.

“Already...?” Kane agreed. “We just got here!”

“A wise man once said that if you want something done quickly, you gotta be professional!” D-002 poked the side of his head, suddenly playing a little hologram out from his face. “Now, look here! I’ve got a little presentation I’d like to show you.”

We were all forced to watch as ‘D-002’S FIRST MOTIVE’ played on the hologram.

“So! This is you.” D-002 was basically narrating a cartoon as a white pawn hopped onto the screen, followed by fifteen others. The background was a dull blue, so we could see them better. “You are all young and afraid. You wish to escape.”

One of the pawns then pulls out a knife, stabbing it into the nearest pawn, their white skin turning black.

“Then we have a trial, because that’s how this works! But the killer gets away with it!” The hologram continued on, showing that black pawn got away with murder and the other fifteen pawns were hung in response. “If you commit murder... and get away with it... I will grant you your greatest desire!”

Akako pouted. “We already know that. You told us that yesterday.”

“I wasn’t finished, however.” D-002 snickered as a helicopter lands next to the black pawn. “IF you do get away with it, I will see it that all crimes you committed... the murder of your peer, the murder of whoever else, and any other crimes on record... are wiped clean, along with your name!”

A king-looking piece comes out of the helicopter, making little talking actions with the black pawn before said pawn turns white again, jumping around happily. That then turned into the END card, and D-002 tapped the side of his head again to address us directly.

“Alrighty then! Any questions?”

“Yeah, just a quick one- The fuck are you on?” Motosuki laughed. “THAT? That’s your master plan for a motive?”

“You’d clear our name... but what if I don’t want my name cleared?” Kukiko mentioned. “Idiotic fungus... go and grow another brain! Yours clearly doesn’t work!”

D-002 tilted his head. “What do you mean? This is a good opportunity! A chance to start over!”

“Yeah, a chance to start over,” Yoriko laughed. “I don’t think you’ve thought this entirely through, trashcan. It doesn’t matter if you were to clear my name- I’ve already served my time for what I did. Plus, it’s not like clearing my name is going to get me the detective job I want.”

I looked to Cerberus, who raised his hand to show he needed to say something. “Cerberus, what’s up?”

“My greatest desire clashes with this motive,” Cerberus mentioned. “What bother would I want to build a cult that I’m not even known as the head of?”

“Now that you mention it...” Hisonora also laughed at D-002. “So does mine. Did you even think this trough, D-999?”

“It’s D-002...” He said glumly. “My, my... what ungrateful little brats you all are. I thought that at least ONE of you would be happy to know that you wouldn’t be seen as a murderer anymore...”

“Your motive no work on me.” Hirota crossed her arms proudly. “I no want no name. Name nice. Name make you proud human.”

“E-Even if...” Akako pulled at her sweater top as if it was restricting her. “Even if I committed murder... I don’t wanna do it again just to be given freedom.”

Chuu then leant into D-002. “Like I said before... Fuck off.”

D-002, despite not having a face, looked genuinely disappointed. He hopped down from the table, pitifully walking off with his head down, leaving us all as a reaffirmed group. With no reason to kill, D-002’s game wouldn’t continue. We just needed to keep that up.

Of course, that didn’t usually end with a pessimistic attitude.

“Off he goes...” Kenjiro sighed. “He’s probably going to make a new motive because this one failed. Unfortunately... I think he’ll be back.”

“Eh, he was gonna come back anyway,” Motosuki mentioned. “Guy’s obsessed with us. I’d be surprised if he could last an hour without coming back.”

Masa tutted. “Dearie me... I do hope breakfast isn’t burnt.”

I checked my watch, looking at the time.

“Hah...” I laughed slightly. “Better make that lunch now. It’s 12:44pm.”

God... I’d missed be able to do that.

**PART END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, about that 'full day' thing.
> 
> Sure enough, I had too much to write and not enough want to put it all into one day. In response, I'm going to do the thing I did last time- I'm going to allow you guys to vote for who you want to have free time with!
> 
> Vote here- https://www.strawpoll.me/18924409
> 
> I hope to see you for the next part!  
\- Joseph


	4. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 2(B)

**Day 2(B)**

After brunch, I decided to hang out with someone. My first option was of course Chuu- after all, Chuu was my best friend- but I couldn’t just keep to myself and him if I wanted to make friends. So, I closed my eyes, picked someone at random, and opened my eyes to see myself pointing at them.

Cerberus.

Well, I’d always been interested in the weirder people, so I guess I was happy to see him in my sights.

So, without further ado...

I spent some time letting Cerberus talk. We grew a little closer that day.

Cerberus had a weird way of making me feel smaller. Sure, I was 5’ 1’’ and he was 5’ 7’’, but his ‘religion’ had so many mysteries behind it that I wasn’t sure if they were all entirely true or not.

Even now, the ‘only speak when spoken to’ one was getting in the way of a proper conversation.

“So, Cerberus... What exactly does your religion entail?” I asked.

“Well, it is a very simple religion,” Cerberus exclaimed. “Every month, we sacrifice one of Danafulu’s loyal servants to his palace, where they’ll be judged if they’re worthy to watch over the planet as an Overseer of Duty.”

I blinked, pretending I was following.

“If they have been purely intent on making the world a better place, Danafulu will see their spirit and allow them to become part of his Overseers. There, they will be able to manipulate the planet how they see fit, whether that be growing trees faster, making the water flow at greater speeds...”

“So your religion consists of...” I paused, wondering if I should say it. “Environmentalists?”

He nodded. “Not just Environmentalists, but of those who wish for the Earth to be rebuilt for Danafulu’s return!”

This ‘Danafulu’ guy didn’t sound like the kind of man I wanted on Earth, to be honest. “What will he do if he comes back, Cerberus?”

“Danafulu will scoop all his followers into his arms, taking us all to be Overseers, as we have proven that we are worthy to allow him back to Earth,” Cerberus muttered to himself. “And when he does that, he will destroy this planet, replacing it with a planet that we may meld under our fingers like clay, creating a perfect planet!”

Ah, so THAT’S why I was afraid of Cerberus.

“That is why I extend my hand in this generous offer, my friend!” Cerberus motioned with his hand. “I will allow you to join the cult of Danafulu when we escape.”

I smiled, trying to be polite. “Ah, that’s... wonderful. Thank you for offering.”

“I will talk to the High Masters about setting up your induction.” Cerberus patted my shoulder, rather forcefully. “I do hope you will take this offer; when Danafulu returns, you are one that I will pray for safe return.”

I didn’t like how he kept saying ‘when’.

After that meaningful conversation, Cerberus left me alone. I was sad to see him go, but I wasn’t about to call for him to stay. He did weird me out slightly.

Someone who didn’t weird me out was Chuu, who came and found me a few minutes after. “Osen.”

“Chuu?”

“Come with me. We need to talk.”

I didn’t counter that, simply walking with him into the door room. Hisonora, Sun-Sing and surprisingly, Hirota, were waiting in the door room with unhappy faces.

“Ah, Osen.” Sun-Sing waved at me. “Sorry you had to get dragged into this.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, a little worried.

“Have you checked your watch recently?” Chuu pointed to his own. “They’ve got a new section. One that tells us exactly who we’re linked to from Sun-Sing’s killing game... including why, too.”

I opened my personal profile, flicking twice to see that, sure enough, there was another picture. The woman I was looking at was... well, she didn’t seem to be happy to be my connection, if the tears coming from her eyes were any indication.

... Wait.

WAIT.

“Y-Yanayashi?!” I immediately perked up, adjusting my watch. “No way... there’s no way!”

Sun-Sing flinched at my outburst. “Y-You know her?”

“Yanayashi... she...” I felt myself tearing up. “We bumped into each other, around three years ago. She’d just been walking to class, while I’d been in the reserve course. It was kinda like an anime- she’d bumped the books out of my hand because I’d been in a rush and hadn’t seen her.”

Sun-Sing suddenly got a cheerful face. “So _that’s_ where I know you from. Osen Goya- the girl who Yanayashi would walk with during her Sunday Schoolings.”

“B-But...” I kept looking into Yanayashi’s eyes. “She went missing. Hope’s Peak tried to cover up what happened to her, but the rumours got too volatile, and...”

Chuu barked out what I didn’t want to say. “Yanayashi got involved in a killing game.”

Sun-Sing closed her eyes. “W-Where she became a killer, alongside her girlfriend.”

Right, her girlfriend... Winnego, right? That guy- girl- who wanted to be the opposite gender. He- she- had gone missing at the same time as her. She’d... she’d actually been inducted into a killing game. She’d actually been forced to play this awful game.

Reading the short description below the picture, whoever had written it had basically nailed it on the head.

YOUR CONNECTION IS: **YANAYASHI**

Yanayashi Hollings bumped into you during your first day in the reserve course. Due to this coincidence, you and Yanayashi became friends; when you weren’t busy with your studies, you and Yanayashi would hang out, whether that be talking over a restaurant meal or walking to Sunday Classes together. When Yanayashi went missing, you were the first person to be worried.

I was the ‘first’ person to be worried.

The FIRST.

That means that... for those three days I didn’t see Yanayashi before I got worried about where she’d gone... nobody had cared about her disappearing.

Sun-Sing shattered my thoughts. “My watch literally just shows myself. As I expected, D-002 just threw me into this place because I met his requirements.”

Chuu tapped his watch to wake it up again. “I got someone called Ori Toni... Says here I was connected to him because I ‘re-affirmed his beliefs when no one else would’. Was he the guy we met on the way to classes that one time, Osen?”

I thought back, realising he was right. “Ori had been in the hallways of the reserve course, looking really depressed. You two had a conversation while I went and got our things to get ready to go home.”

“Right!” Chuu made the ‘that’s correct’ motion. “He wanted me to confirm if he should keep following his religion. I didn’t know ‘Dude, do whatever you think is right’ was the correct answer but... sure enough, here it says that he made a nightly prayer for me that day.”

“And that was enough for D-002 to try and capture you...?” I tilted my head.

Hisonora cleared his throat. “Says here I got someone called Akari. She looks like some sort of medical person, so...”

Sun-Sing rolled her eyes visibly. I didn’t say anything about it.

And then, Hirota cleared her throat. “May I say person on watch?”

“Yes, sorry, go ahead,” I mentioned patiently.

“Say here that ‘Kanji’ my person.” She tried reading what it said aloud. “When Kanji sad, I make happy out of him. Told him that he do whatever he can to be good person. Say he quote me as reason for talent... very nice.”

Sun-Sing rubbed her hands together. “So, now we’re aware of why we’re here. As it’s stated, you’re all at least loosely connected to people from my killing game. As such... that means D-002’s brother IS who I’m thinking it is.”

Hisonora laughed then. “But there’s a twist!”

“There is,” Sun-Sing gritted her teeth. “Because Monomodo was never destroyed. My friend from the Future Foundation put the AI chip of Monomodo under lockdown so nobody else could access it.”

“Nobody _else_...” Hisonora scratched his chin. “In that case... Sun-Sing, is there a chance that this friend of yours--”

“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence!” Suddenly, rage came from Sun-Sing as she snapped at him. “Shui would never do that! Shui knows what could happen if Monomodo got out!”

“Whoa, okay!” Hisonora put his hands up in defence. “I was just making a point that if... Shui... WAS involved in this, wouldn’t it be obvious? After all, two years is a long time. If you’re such good friends with him, you would’ve noticed that he was going to do this, right?”

Sun-Sing calmed down slightly, straightening her hair out with her fingers. “Yes... Yes. Sorry, I...”

“It’s fine, Double S.” Hisonora crossed his arms. “Sometimes we get passionate about things without seeing the broader picture.”

And then, Chuu made things worse.

“What if she’s lying?”

I looked to him. “Chuu! You can’t just--”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sun-Sing looked over at him. “You think I’d just lie about being part of a killing game? They ruin people’s lives, Chuu. I’d never joke about something so serious.”

Chuu got agitated, and I found myself stepping behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from proceeding forwards. “I’m just saying that if you were part of a killing game before, then how are you still here? Because in order to win a killing game, you need to get away with murder.”

Hirota, unfortunately, picked up on what Chuu was trying to say. “That mean... Sun-Sing win kill game? Sun-Sing kill other student, get away with, escape?”

Sun-Sing shook her head. “No, that’s not true. It was because of a girl called Kaiyo that I even escaped.”

Kaiyo. I recognised that name- she was the girl with the bottle necklace. Kaiyo herself had been part of a killing game- a killing game that she and four others escaped from.

That could only mean...

“You were one of the survivors of that killing game...” I stumbled out. “It was you, Kaiyo and three others...”

“Does it make sense now?” She huffed back. “I’ve never hurt anyone. The only reason I’m even back is because of...”

Hisonora stopped her by putting a hand across her. “Alright, Sun-Sing. I’ll take it from here. You go get some rest... you were up all last night.”

Chuu growled as Sun-Sing walked past us to the bedrooms.

“Chuu, you need to be careful with what you say,” Hisonora continued. “Everyone here has a different experience. Just because you’ve gone through something similar doesn’t mean you can just relate immediately to them.”

Chuu flipped his hair away. “Whatever. At the end of the day, Hisonora, I don’t trust you as far as I can fucking throw you. You’ve been working in tandem with that girl since the beginning, and I’m getting the sneaking suspicion you’re working together.”

Hisonora shrugged. “Well, sorry for caring about the wellbeing of another person. I wasn’t aware that was deemed suspicious nowadays.”

Throughout this, Hisonora remained unnaturally calm, while Chuu only got more hot-headed.

“Well _sorry_ for being suspicious of someone who won’t even spill what their talent is!” He tried to shrug off my hand, but I kept it there. “I don’t trust YOU, or HER, or ANYONE in this damn place except Osen!”

Hisonora eyed me, and I knew he wasn’t going to say anything. I decided to make the point instead. “Chuu, please... don’t be like that.”

Chuu looked at me, the anger obvious in his face, but he saw my upset eye and stopped instantly. “... Right. Right, sorry.”

Chuu stormed away, the apology to me and not the people who he’d essentially slagged off for five minutes. I watched him go, turning into the lounge and slamming the door hard behind him.

“I... I’m really sorry about that, Hisonora.”

Hisonora chuckled. “Please, call me Hiso. It’s easier on the tongue.”

“R-Right... Sorry, Hiso. Chuu has problems controlling his temper.” I turned to him, seeing he’d entered a casual pose. “He’s always saying the first thing that comes to mind. After his sister died, he... he hasn’t been the same.”

Hirota, who was still there, nodded intensely. “Chuu not happy! Chuu need to know Hiso talent, but Hiso no like talent!”

Hisonora shrugged again. “Unfortunately, I will not be sharing my talent with any of you. I don’t feel like we need to be defined by them.”

“Even after see what it do to Chuu?” Hirota responded. “Can not hurt to say?”

Hisonora then got a very scary look on his face.

_“I said, it doesn’t matter. Drop it.”_

I realised quickly that Hisonora meant it, and I did indeed drop it instantly. Guess you could only push someone so much before they showed their cracks.

After that point, I didn’t really want to do anything. It was 3pm, so we were approaching the evening, but at the same time I just wanted to go sleep like Sun-Sing had done. Entering the kitchen, I tried to ignore the arguing of Akako and Yuno as I manoeuvred to the bread bin, intending to make myself a sandwich.

“Girl, you clearly care about him!” Yuno jabbed Akako in the chest. “Just ask him out before I steal him from you.”

Akako had that red face she always did while talking to someone. “I-I don’t care about him, stupid! I just see him as a friend, is all. Get off my dick.”

“Sweetheart, you’re looking at the girl who enjoys bathing in the male changing rooms. I know a lustful look when I see one, from both parties.” Yuno laughed as Akako slinked a step backwards. “How about you let yourself be happy for once?”

I had made my sandwich at this point, and was just watching the pair argue while I ate.

“Well, how do I even know if he likes me that way?” Akako turned around, crossing her arms. “I-It’s not like he even pays any attention to me.”

And then, my female hormones kicked into overdrive when Yuno tackled into her from behind and pulled her into possible violation of human decency.

“Come on, you think he hasn’t seen you when you look like this?” Yuno laughed, bouncing her up and down. “Girl, you aren’t even wearing a bra! No wonder you’re so flexible!”

“They’re uncomfortable! A-And that’s beside the point!”

Akako looked incredibly uncomfortable about this situation, and while I wanted to help her I couldn’t find my legs working; probably because all of my concentration was now on the fact that the two of them were arguing about breast size. It took a second before I even managed to notice that Kane had entered and was trying to talk to me.

“... Osen?”

“Ah, um, yeah.” I tried to pretend I knew what I said.

Kane rolled his eyes. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

“Nope,” I ended up admitting. Luckily, that’s when Akako ran off, followed by Yuno who strolled out after her, so I could actually focus on Kane and his attempt at conversation. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said ‘enjoying the view’?” He suddenly laughed as I blushed. “She’s a beautiful girl, but I doubt she’s actually done half the things she talks about.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “So, um, what did you come for?”

“I wanted to come ask you about Chuu.” Kane’s smiled faded. “Specifically about his attitude. He’s... not the friendliest, is he?”

“Ah, no... But that’s because of the past.” I rubbed the back of my head. “His sister died in a car crash, and he blames himself for it because he didn’t want to watch her across the street that day.”

Kane tutted. “I suppose that’d explain his lack of conversational skills.”

I pouted, not liking this conversation either. “Chuu... he used to be so friendly. So happy and willing to help. And then his sister died, and he... he just collapsed in on himself. I tried to help... Hell, I’m sure I did. Who knows what he’d be like if I didn’t try.”

Kane sighed. “It’s unfortunate how far someone would fall after tragedy.”

Then, I got a small thought. “Hey, so... who did you get for your connected person?”

Kane tilted his head. “Hm?”

“Ah, um... we discovered that we got the profiles of people we’re connected to through our watches.” I motioned to my watch, much like Chuu did. “So, I discovered that I’m connected to a woman named Yanayashi.”

“Ah, that’s a wonderful thing!” Kane tapped his watch, scrolling to the connected profile. “I suppose it’ll probably be someone I’ve tutored.”

I waited for him to tell me who it was.

“... Well? Is it?”

“Ah, well, I don’t recognise them, so perhaps not.” Kane scratched his head.

“Well, what’s their name?” I crossed my arms. “And the description? What does it say?”

Kane laughed nervously. “Aha... um... I... I don’t know.”

“What?”

I walked around to see what his watch said for him. The guy had a weird mask on, with a hat with a plush skull on and long white hair.

It was until I read the description that I felt slightly sorry for Kane.

YOUR CONNECTION IS: **MUTSUKO**

Mutsuko Mandolin was the man you attempted to rob at point blank during your lowest point. After you attempted to shoot him, you ended up killing a different man without the want to, and Mutsuko was blamed for the act by his little sister. When Mutsuko went missing, you didn’t even notice.

I gritted my teeth slightly, but held my smile.

Kane put both hands behind his back to try and look more formal. “As you can probably tell... I’m actually dyslexic. I can’t even spell a simple word, let alone write or read. How I became a Scholar is beyond me considering I was forced to write my own description.”

Confused, I still felt the want to question it. “Surely someone would’ve recognised, right?”

“Oh, almost instantly,” Kane joked. “I was inducted into the special class for people whose talents directly countered their education. However, it’s like Hiso said; my talent doesn’t define who I am. I may be a scholar, but at the end of the day... I kinda suck.”

I could tell.

“... Anyway! I actually came in here to make myself some food...”

I pushed the other half of my sandwich to him. “Here. I’m not that hungry.”

“Oh, that’s very nice of you.” Kane took it graciously. “So, it’s 3:20pm. What are you planning to do now?”

“Honestly?” I replied, admittedly surprised that Kane even knew how to read time. “I think I’m just going to go sleep. I feel exhausted.”

“I don’t blame you, honestly.” Kane replied, biting into the sandwich, swallowing before continuing. “It’s gonna be hard to have any sort of sleep schedule here- This is a tasty sandwich!”

I smiled. “It’s... ham and cheese...”

“Yeah but like... wow, it’s a good sandwich.”

Well, at least we were ending today on a good note. I thanked Kane for his time, heading out of the kitchen and heading into the bedroom block...

Where I heard crying. Specifically, little girl crying.

I headed straight to the room it was coming from. “Cho?”

The crying instantly stopped, and footsteps over to the door echoed from the room until it opened. “What?”

“Are you okay? I heard you crying...” I asked.

“I-I’m not crying!” Cho looked incredibly embarrassed. “Big girls don’t cry.”

I sighed, kneeling down slightly. “If you want to talk to someone, I’m just across the hall, okay?”

Cho nodded. “Yeah... thanks.”

And then the door shut in my face, and I was reminded that I was planning to go to bed. I headed over to the bedroom that claimed to be my own before heading inside, a little worse for wear but still positive as I sat on the bed.

Before I could lie down, though...

_Knock, knock._

“Come in!” I called.

Immediately, Cho came in, closing the door behind me. I waited patiently for her to walk over, sitting next to me.

“C-Can I sleep with you tonight, Osen?” She asked gently.

“Oh, um, sure...” I felt uncomfortable about that, but continued. “Why’s that?”

“T-There’s no nightlight in my room, and... I can’t sleep without it. I’m scared of the dark.” Cho looked up, her eyes bubbling with fat tears. “I-I don’t wanna be here! I wanna go home!”

“Hey...” I took her by the shoulders, gently pulling her into a hug. “Hey, it’s okay... Don’t cry...”

“I’m sorry...” She apologised for no reason. “I don’t wanna die, Osen. I don’t wanna die...”

To make a nine-year-old say that made me feel a deep rage for our kidnappers. “It’s okay. I’m here... I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay?”

She pulled away from me, sniffling as she wiped her eye. “You mean it?”

“I mean it.” I moved her hair out of her eye. “Now, come on. Don’t cry... Big girls don’t cry.”

Cho laughed at my statement. I lay down as Cho took the area next to me, cuddling up to me as the light dimmed.

“Goodnight, Osen...” She whispered.

“Goodnight, Cho,” I replied.

It’s funny how quickly you can fall asleep when there’s someone next to you.

**DAY END**


	5. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 3

**DAY 3**

Waking up in a strange situation will never feel good. Especially if the way you’re waking up is in an uncomfortable bed. Cho, who’d fallen asleep next to me that night, was now gone, leaving me alone.

I sat up, looking around the room, before hopping out and slipping on the shoes I was wearing yesterday. No need to walk on the floor with just socks.

Kenjiro was the first person I needed to meet with, so I headed to the medical office, rasping on the door before entering. Inside was dark- there was nobody around, as shown by the way the lights flickered on to reveal no human activity. I sat on one of the couches, waiting patiently for him to appear.

As I did, I looked at the motive again. There was a section in the watch that allowed me to check, and I saw it hadn’t changed; if I committed murder, I would get my greatest desire granted, as well as my name cleared so I could have a fresh start on life. As Cerberus had mentioned yesterday, it certainly seemed dumb, especially when you took into account what my Greatest Desire actually was.

See, I’m a big fan of knowledge. I feel like I need to constantly get smarter, so I can understand everything. And with that, my greatest desire comes into play- my greatest desire is to become omnipresent, so I can learn everything and anything that’s happening, whether it has already happened or will happen in the future. Of course, that’s not physically possible, so I have no reason to commit murder.

I know some crafted monster of a robot can’t provide that for me.

Eventually, Kenjiro walked in. “Oh, hey Osen. Guess you heard me when I said I needed to change your bandages today?”

“I just assumed you’d need to,” I replied honestly. “After all, you neglected to change them for a few days, and look what happened.”

Kenjiro chuckled, kneeling to meet my sitting position. Kenjiro was 5’ 7’’- strangely enough, making him to fourth shortest of the group- so he was constantly looking down at me. I let him remove the bandages like drywall plaster, leaving behind whatever happened to the wounds.

Considering he immediately hissed, I knew it wasn’t good. I didn’t even bother looking in the mirror as he tossed the bandages into the nearby trashcan. After all, the disgusting yellowish colour that coated the inside of the false mask was enough for me to know it wasn’t good.

At least it didn’t hurt. I don’t know if that was a good thing or not.

“Yeah, that’s a serious infection,” Kenjiro admitted guiltily. “Sorry, Osen. I really should’ve paid more attention.”

I watched as he began doing what he did yesterday; dipping new bandages into the mixture of disinfectant and anaesthetic. This time, however, I could actually focus on him instead of crying and groaning in pain. As he worked, I felt required to ask him a question.

“Kenjiro... who are you connected to?”

“You know, Chuu knew you’d ask that.” Kenjiro adjusted the gloves he was wearing. “And I’m connected to a man called Shui Ninigata. Back when I was just starting out in the hospital I work for, he was one of the patients I was assigned to watch over.”

“Oh, that’s...” I tilted my head as he walked over with the bandages. “How old are you, Kenjiro?”

Kenjiro tilted my head back into place. “I’m twenty.”

“Oh, I’m eighteen...” I giggled as he began applying the bandage plaster. Unlike last time, this was actually a far weirder feeling- it was like he was just pushing stickers onto my face. “Guess our kidnapper really got all varieties of ages, huh?”

“Nine year old, eighteen year old, twenty year old...” Kenjiro rolled his eyes as he suddenly pulled his medical mask up and over his mouth. “I believe Sun-Sing is twenty six... hold on a second.”

I got slightly nervous when he took a scalpel from the side table. “Um... what’s going on?”

“There’s a bit of a bubble here that I wanna get...” Kenjiro prodded the scalpel into the area gently. “Don’t worry about it; this is just to make sure.”

I blinked. “Be careful, please...”

“It’s fine! I’ve dealt with worse in less time...”

And then the bubble popped, and Kenjiro’s face was splattered with disgusting looking infection. Nothing hit above his cheek, luckily, and a lot of it sprayed onto his mask.

“There, see? Was that so bad?”

I gagged as a smell of rot hit me. “Ugh...”

“Yep, that’s normal.” He grabbed a wet wipe from the side table too, wiping off anything that didn’t belong on his face. “Now I can continue.”

After about two minutes, the rest of the bandages got applied, and I was left with a thankful smile on my face as Kenjiro cleaned up after himself. It was weird to see how quickly he was able to finish up what he was doing; within a minute, it was like he hadn’t even been in the room.

I checked the time- 9:44am.

“So, I’m gonna guess you’ll need breakfast?” Kenjiro asked.

“You ask that like I need you to baby me,” I replied, standing up. “I can make my own. You don’t need to worry about treating me like an actual patient.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry.” Kenjiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Well, can’t I not do it as a friend?”

I smiled as we walked out of the medical office together, heading into the kitchen instead. We weren’t the first ones in, clearly, as Hisonora and Cho were here like the first day I met them.

“So, what’s the first rule of cooking?” Hiso asked her.

“Don’t...” Cho had to think about it. “Don’t put your hands in the trash.”

Hiso paused, resisting the urge to laugh. “True. What’s the second rule, then?”

“Don’t put your hands in the trash!” Cho repeated.

“You silly, that’s the first rule again,” Hisonora crouched down. When I say crouch, I mean crouch- he got into a full squat before he even met eyes with her. “If you don’t know, just say you don’t. It’s fine.”

“Hey guys!” Kenjiro made our presence known. “What’s up?”

“We’re making breakfast for everyone!” Cho waved back. “It’s to make everyone feel happy!”

“Ah, that’s very nice of you,” I replied warmly. “What are you making?”

Hiso rolled his eyes. “Toast.”

“And Jam!” Cho added.

“And perhaps marmalade?” Hiso finished.

“Ew, no, marmalade has oranges in it!” Cho crossed her arms angrily. “No oranges! They’re yucky!”

Kenjiro smirked. I simply laughed.

Hiso popped the toaster. “Alright. Cho, take this through for me, will you?”

“Okay!” Cho took the plate and left, leaving me and Kenjiro to see Hiso’s proud smile. It was like a father looking proudly at his daughter- however, I doubted the pair had any connection.

“Hiso, sorry to ask so suddenly...” I walked forward, feeling the kettle had boiled. “But do you think Cho’s gonna be okay?”

Hiso put some more toast in the toaster. “I... I don’t know. I just hope she’ll understand why everyone is having their own issues.”

I poured myself a drink.

“Everyone’s already meeting in the canteen,” Hiso told me. “You’re the last one to wake up.”

“Isn’t it...” I checked to make sure. “Half-Nine?”

“Yeah, it’s amazing what fear can do to you, isn’t it?” Kenjiro laughed. “If you wanna go wait in the canteen with the others, I’ll be through after I help make breakfast.”

I did as I was told, walking to the canteen and heading in. Sure enough, everyone was talking and laughing and having pleasant conversations with each other, only stopping to see me enter.

“Osen!” I got waved at by Motosuki. “How’d you sleep, girl?”

“Well, I suppose...” I took a seat next to Chuu. He’d chosen to sit with Akako and Kukiko, most likely because they weren’t attempting conversation with him. “How about you?”

Of course, even though I wasn’t talking about them Akako immediately thought I was. “Why do YOU want to know? You think I’m exhausted? Do I look tired to you?!”

I looked her in the face. Actually, now that she mentioned it...

“D-Don’t look at me like that!” Akako lit up in blush, instantly averting her eyes. “I got two hours! That’s more than enough for me.”

Chuu gave me a placant look. “Not much to really say. D-002 never made us play the game like he apparently wanted to do ‘every day’.”

Kukiko piped in. “Bluebell, we have not uncovered much I’m afraid. We don’t have an escape route planned...”

Chuu also added something. “The door doesn’t want to budge. It sucks.”

“I’m telling you, man.” Motosuki joined in the conversation. “Explosives. We try and find explosive, we blow that door to shitereens, so...”

Masa sighed. “Please refrain from swearing in the presence of a child, Motosuki.”

Cho looked up at Masa confusedly. “He swore?”

Yoriko watched as Hiso and Kenjiro walked through with some extra toast, one of the pieces of which I took graciously.

“So, what do we have planned for today?” Hiso asked. “Besides, y’know, looking for escape routes.”

As everyone began discussing such an idea, I noticed that Akako kept looking at me, as if she wanted to say something.

“Akako?” I questioned her. “What’s up?”

“Nothing!” Akako looked away again, her blush going up again like wildfire. “I-It’s not like I wanna hang out with you or anything!”

I blinked, looking to Chuu who was busy just eating his breakfast.

“Would... would you like to hang out, Akako?”

Akako crossed her arms, giving me some side-eye. “I _guess_. If you wanna. I mean, I’m super busy today, but I guess I could slip you in. Be grateful.”

Well, this was going to be fun.

**...**

I spent some time being essentially insulted by Akako. We grew a little closer... but not too close y’know?

It had been far too quiet as I watched Akako stretching. It was as I expected- Akako was incredibly flexible, able to touch the tip of her toes from a sitting position with her legs outstretched. It’s the sort of woman who never had back problems, just because they did those sorts of stretches.

Of course, that’s when Akako caught me watching. “What do you think you’re looking at?!”

“Sorry!” I turned away. “Sorry.”

After a second of pause, Akako huffed. “Ugh, it’s fine. You can look, if you want. Just don’t make it weird, you s-stupid...”

I turned back, and Akako kept stretching, this time bright red. I finally worked up enough courage to ask her about her tendencies.

“Akako... do I scare you?”

She replied almost immediately. “No, of course not. I just don’t like you... stupid...”

I pursued. “Then why are we hanging out?”

“I don’t like you that way, I mean!” Akako got to her feet, stand a foot above me at 6’ 1’’. “I’m perfectly happy being alone, but sometimes I just wanna be around people, you know? It’s not like I WANTED to be here.”

I tutted, and then laughed, which probably wasn’t a good idea when it got her flustered.

“What?!” Akako threw her hands back, almost in a ‘hit me’ type pose. “You wanna fight?! What are you laughing for?!”

“Akako, if you don’t wanna hang out, just say.” I gave her a cheerful smile. “I promise, I won’t get angry. I can get if you don’t want to.”

Akako took in a loud breath. “Hhhh...”

“Oh... sorry, I forgot you don’t like being told what to do.” I rubbed my arm, solemnly hoping she wouldn’t hit me again. “I guess I can’t help it, huh?”

“Y-You...” Akako was now a mess- her face had gone bright red, and he had a bead of sweat running down her head. I barely even heard what she said. “Y-You can... h-hang out with m-me... again... if you want...”

I tilted my head. “Sorry?”

“Oh, come on!” And then she was back to normal. “Don’t make me repeat it, stupid! I said if you’re not busy, you can come and hang out with me again! I don’t mind... as long as you’re okay with it.”

My smile returned. “Thank you, Akako. That means a lot to me.”

“Y-Yeah, whatever... stupid.” Akako moped slightly, sitting on the floor. “Of course, I’ll probably be busy as well, so I’ll... have to schedule it, and...”

After that little bit of attitude, Akako entered a mumbling state, so I felt like it was time for me to leave her alone. Walking out of the gym, the area we’d chosen as a hang out spot, I found Chuu waiting for me.

“Oh, Chuu. Hey.”

“Hey.” Chuu took my by the hand suddenly. “Follow me.”

“H-Huh? Where are we going?” I was dragged towards the lobby. “H-Hey! Slow down!”

Chuu led me inside, pointing at the weapon room door. I felt my heart skip a beat when I realised that the door was wide open, the ‘barricade’ inside smashed to pieces.

“... W-What?” I was confused at first. It was only until I actually looked inside that I felt my stomach turn inside out.

Every weapon on the wall, from knives to hammers to guns to bows, was stripped, leaving behind only the slight dust excess. Drawers had been ransacked, bullets had been pilfered, and clips had been martyred. I was now looking at a barren room, one which left one absolute thought.

“S-Someone...” I looked to Chuu, who had the same expression I did- fear. “Someone’s stolen all the weaponry.”

“What gave that away?” Chuu replied coldly, walking further into the room and shutting the door with his foot. “Thing is, it’s not gonna be difficult to find them. We have twenty-ish places to look and sixteen of them are bedrooms.”

I swallowed, nodding. “It wasn’t you.”

“Of course not.” Despite me stating it, he took it as a question. “And it wasn’t you either, because you’ve been so dead set on keeping us out of this room.”

I checked my watch. It was now three on the dot. “It probably won’t take long to search for them. Like you said, there are not a lot of places the weapons could be hidden, especially with these boxes gone.”

Chuu flipped hair out his eye. “Umon’s willing to help us, too. He was the one who found the weapons room like this.”

I bit my lip. “How did he know to come here...?”

Then, I shook my head. There was no need to question that. Finding the weapons was the number one priority- questioning whoever took them came second. Chuu and I headed out into the lobby, finding that Yoriko had entered behind us.

“What are you doing?” He questioned immediately. “We barred that room for a reason.”

Chuu got involved instantly. “Yeah, that barrier’s gone. Someone’s stolen all the weapons.”

“Oh, so THAT’S why the clown ransacked my room,” Yoriko smirked. “Well, I sure as shit didn’t steal them. I haven’t set foot in that room since it got barricaded.”

It didn’t seem like Yoriko was lying, either. I pushed past him, walking out into the corridor and heading down to the bedrooms where Umon was already waiting at the entrance to it. Wasn’t like I wasn’t expecting to see him there.

“How’s it looking?”

Umon replied with a taut expression. “They’re not in any of the bedrooms. I checked under the beds, inside the sheets, behind the mirrors...”

I bit my thumbnail, fearful of the situation. “That means they have to be in one of the other rooms, but... where could’ve they hidden them...?”

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a familiar tune.

_Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong..._

_“Salutations, all students!”_ Through the tannoy system came the over-excited voice of D-002. _“All of you meet in the game room! I have a very, very special announcement! For all of you.”_

I looked to Umon, who looked back to me with similar confusion-slash-hesitation. Unfortunately, I doubted we could just skip it, so with gentle feet I led my own way there.

Over the course of five minutes, the sixteen of us had gathered in the game room. D-002 stood over us, his faceless face facing us.

F-Face.

“Salutations, Hapless Students!” He waved cheerfully. “It’s time for an announcement! As some of you are aware, all the weapons in the weapons room are missing- that is valuable assets that you must return within the next hour, or face punishment!”

Motosuki wiped his face. “Dude, are you serious? We’re all in the same boat as you. We have no idea who took the weapons either.”

D-002 then made a laugh that echoed the entire room.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me.”

The door barred behind us, catching those closest to it off guard. We all looked up at D-002 leant onto the railing of his special place, scanning us all with his fifteen beady eyes.

“You see, I already know who the thief is. I’m asking said thief to step forward and make this easier on everyone.” D-002 clicked his fingers, and suddenly about eight Gatling Guns descended from the ceiling.

I looked to the guns, and then back to the others, who all looked as terrified as each other. Nobody could move. Nobody could speak. Even if one of us was the ‘thief’, as D-002 put it, it wasn’t like anyone was going to admit it. After all, the terror of the idea of being outted in front of people who are trying to trust you is...

“Admit... Please?” Hirota suddenly spoke up. “Who steal gun? Who steal weapon?”

Yuno checked her nails. “Yeah... I don’t want to waste this perfect body on this kind of death. I at least want the coroners to find an intact body...”

I looked to Chuu. He was just standing, looking at the guns nearest to him, but someone went to break the silence as I was looking at him.

“It was--”

“Me, it was me.” Hisonora suddenly came out of nowhere, coughing twice. “I stole the weapons. Dear me, I thought I wouldn’t get caught.”

“What do you mean you thought you wouldn’t get caught?!” D-002 yelled, nearly at the top of his robotic lungs. “It’s kinda hard not to notice when a man steals 56 handguns, 22 shotguns, 15 assault rifles, 16 bows, 132 arrows, 20,478 bullets, 12 daggers, 6 swords, 4 hammers and a Morningstar!”

Kenjiro gulped. “L-Least we don’t need to be confused about what’s in there...”

D-002 slammed his claw on the railing. “Now tell me! Where are you hiding it, Hisonora?! Tell me before I crack your skull!”

“Calm down, D-26. I’ll tell you where they are as soon as I can remember.” Hiso scratched his head, laughing off the threat. “My memory’s kinda fuzzy at the moment. Must be the shock of being put in this situation.”

“... Hm.” D-002 waved his hand, returning all the guns back into the ceiling. “Goodness me... if you say so. I want the location of the weapons disclosed within the next fifteen minutes.”

Hiso looked to the others, shrugging. “Sorry, guys. I’m just a little liar, aren’t I?”

Sun-Sing swallowed. “I... don’t blame you, to be honest. I can assume you didn’t mean to use them right?”

Hiso rolled his wrist a bit. “I mean, yeah! I just hid them to make sure nobody hurt each other with them. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Fuck no!” Motosuki laughed. “Come on! You think I’m gonna be angry at you for trying to keep us safe?!”

“You’re a lovely man, Oak Tree.” Kukiko smiled, nodding twice. “You have a good heart... perhaps a little off guard, though.”

“Yeah, you need to be careful,” Umon continued. “The end justifies the means, sure, but D-002 isn’t that sort of person. He’s not a person at all.”

Cho hummed. “So can we go now?!”

I watched as the bars on the door disappeared into the roof again. D-002 grumbled. “Sure, whatever. Go. Hiso, I’ll be coming to find you soon.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as everyone began to leave at their own speed. I wasn’t going to say anything- after all, if everyone was happy, I wasn’t going to say anything.

I wasn’t going to say that the first voice that tried to speak was clearly female.

“Osen?”

I looked to Hirota, who had waited behind. “Oh, uh, yes Hirota?”

“You feel okay? You want talk?”

I smiled at her. “I’ve got some time to hang out, if that’s okay with you...”

**...**

I spent some time drinking hot chocolate with Hirota. We grew a little closer that day.

Hirota rubbed her hands together. “Oh... cold.”

“Cold?” I looked around, as if I could see the heat. “Are you sure? It’s quite warm.”

“Ah, no understand.” Hirota began explaining, using her mittens as little characters. “I was arctic, with research. Look at stuff. Write down stuff. Then, ice break. Fall in- sploosh! Water. No wetsuit. Water? Freeze skin. Water no sight good- lose ice hole fell through.”

Through her broken Japanese, I began translating the story she was trying to tell- Hirota had been on field research one day, and had fallen through the ice, plunging into the freezing cold waters of the arctic. When she hit the water, she got disorientated, losing herself under the ice.

“Christ...” I shivered just at the thought of it. “I’m... I’m sorry about that.”

“No, no it okay!” Hirota got suddenly worried at my face. “I save! I save by boyfriend! Boyfriend drill ice- boyfriend make hole for me! Dig me out of water! Just never recover. Become cold. Boyfriend no like that. Boyfriend break up.”

So, because she became cold-skinned, her boyfriend left her... guess it wasn’t true love, then. What a petty reason to break up with someone.

“But now, always cold. No warm. No feel warm.” I watched as she rubbed her arms a bunch. “Body always cold. Lips chap.”

I chuckled. “Someone will love you for that. All you gotta do is find someone who’s always really hot and cuddle forever to become the correct temperature!”

Hirota laughed heartily. “Perhaps I melt then!”

The lovely, lovely laughter we shared then was one that I’d wanted for a while. The depression of the situation almost collapsed under her joke, and I finally felt the relief of happiness once more.

Had it stayed that way, I wouldn’t have minded. I missed this kind of laughter.

Not even Chuu made me laugh that hard. Not anymore.

Suddenly, I was alerted to the sound of a bell.

“Salutations! It’s now 9pm- that means it’s nighttime! As stated, the game room and the gym are going to be locked down. Enjoy your night!”

I looked back, seeing my conversation partner had left me during that announcement.

“... Looks like it’s time for bed,” I said to no one. “Twelve hours of sleep... I’d never expect to get that ever. Shame it happened now of all times...”

I headed to my room, walking straight in and sitting on my bed, rolling over onto my pillow. I swallowed hard, looking at the wall.

I hoped I didn’t get used to this.

I really, really hoped.

**DAY END**


	6. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 4

**DAY 4**

After one of the worst sleeps I ever had, I awoke the next morning with sleep in my eye.

Dreamless sleeps... they left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t really know what was with them, either- you’d think that the act of dreaming would make things worse, but I always found myself waking up exhausted if I didn’t dream.

I stood up with a large, obviously pained sigh. My bandages were bothering me- I suppose the anaesthetic wore off while I was asleep. I yawned as I walked out of my room into the hallway of the bedrooms.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

I flinched when I walked straight into an argument between Yoriko and Kenjiro. Kenjiro was on the receiving end of the said argument, looking guilty at the ground as Yoriko yelled at him.

“You’re fucking insane if you think you’ll even get that far!” Yoriko jabbed a finger into Kenjiro’s chest. “D-002 would never allow it!”

Kenjiro crossed his arms glumly. “I-It was just a suggestion. Don’t get so worked up about it...”

Yoriko realised I was standing there, looking at the pair in shock, and soon after Kenjiro looked over his shoulder to see me too.

“Oh...” Yoriko instantly backed down. “S-Sorry, did we wake you?”

“No,” I answered. “What’s going on?”

Kenjiro tapped his foot. “I... I was just... saying...”

“He wants to break the robot,” Yoriko answered for him. “He wants to destroy him, see what makes him tick.”

“It’s a good idea!” Kenjiro responded vocally. “From what I can tell, there’s no rule against it! There are no rules at all!”

I rubbed my arm and walked forward. “Kenjiro, I don’t think it’s such a good idea. D-002’s got that weird claw arm, and he can make guns and stuff come out of the roof...”

“He gets all his information from the internet, too...” Yoriko removed his glove, massaging the skin underneath. “He’s bound to have stumbled onto fighting styles and how to do them at some point.”

Kenjiro sighed. “Yeah, okay. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “So, can I get my bandages changed, please?”

Kenjiro nodded. “Yeah, sure! See you around, Yoriko.”

Yoriko nodded, putting the glove back on. “Yeah, see ya.”

Kenjiro led me to the medical office, sitting me down and pulling away from half-mask of bandages I was already wearing. The second he did, however, I saw myself in the reflection of some weird looking blood.

Oh god... it looked disgusting. Is that seriously what it looked like? I was gonna puke, and it was my own damn face.

Kenjiro sucked air through his teeth. “Ah, shit. God, this is bad...”

“H-How bad?” I asked nervously, holding onto my own wrist so I didn’t touch the wounds in fear.

“Considering you’re already pretty pale, I’m going to be honest- there’s a small chance the infection is fatal.” Kenjiro pulled his mask up, slipping on a thicker looking pair of gloves. “Forgive me for this.”

I gripped the arms of the chair as he grabbed the infected side of my head, running his finger down it. Instantly, what felt like three pops rippled over that half of my head, causing me to yelp.

“Did that hurt?” He asked.

“N-No... it just felt really, really weird...” I shuddered as I saw the yellow strands on his finger. “Is it really that bad?”

“Like I said, the chance of this being fatal is now a slight chance.” He sniffed the air, going ‘oooo’ in disgust. “... God, I hope it’s not fatal. Please don’t be fatal...”

I began shivering. “K-Kenjiro...?”

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, this is my fault.” Kenjiro’s eyes dulled as he paced away, heading straight to the bin and throwing the gloves inside. “I should’ve paid more attention... I should’ve paid better mind... This is my fault... It’s always my fault...”

I stood up. “Kenjiro! Stop blaming yourself!” I walked over to him, grabbing his arm. It caused him to turn to me with terror.

After a few seconds of just stand, looking at each other in the eye, he sighed and snapped out of it. “Okay. Okay, I get it! It’s fine... I can fix it.”

I nodded. “Just... apply the bandages, please? I don’t want the others to see this.”

Kenjiro sat me back down, beginning to make the mixture again. I watched him, patiently feeling the air on the cuts and scabs. Despite his usual expertise, I could tell he was feeling the weight of the issue on his shoulders.

“It’s fine, Kenjiro.” I wrung my hands over each other. “C-Can I call you Ken?”

He sighed. “I don’t get how you’re being so calm over this.”

“It’s because I don’t blame you, Ken.” I smiled at him as he looked at me. “We’re in a strange situation, with strange people and stranger problems. I can’t blame you for making a mistake.”

“I-It’s just...” he sighed, looking back to his mixture as he continued putting bandages in. “This isn’t a common thing for me to just... mess up. Last time I did, I... I...”

I rubbed my knuckle with my thumb. He never finished that sentence, which was fine- it was just as obvious that Kenjiro had given me the reason he applied to the third connection between us.

Kenjiro had forgotten before.

Kenjiro had watched his mistake end the life... of someone before.

And now, I was in the same boat. I was a mistake that he would be paying for if he didn’t fix. His professional nature now seemed to be replaced with urgency.

“Ken... calm down.” I stood up. “You’re scaring me.”

Kenjiro stopped, taking a deep breath. “Y-Yeah... yeah, sorry. I need to...”

It took a long time for the bandages to be applied. Kenjiro was taking his time now, able to calm himself to a point where his hands weren’t shaking anymore. It seemed like he really cared for his work, at least on the surface. I knew he was struggling, however; struggling to keep up this act of professionalism that he clearly tried to keep himself in.

After what felt like an entire’s day of bandage applying, my new mask was being worn with pride. He smiled at me, ruffling my hair, which made me feel warm inside.

... Wait.

Was he flirting with me?

“A-Ah...” I chuckled nervously as Kenjiro helped me to my feet. “Um... Ken, are you...?”

Kenjiro tilted his head. “Am I what?”

“Are you...” I tried to motion it out with my hand. “Are you, um... flirting?”

He furrowed his brow. “Is that so wrong? I flirt with all my patients. It’s just a little joke- if it’s weirding you out, I’ll stop.”

“Please do...” I replied honestly. “I’m a lesbian.”

“Oh I know!” Kenjiro laughed, patting my back. “Don’t worry, I was aware. Not every girl looks at Yuno with lust instead of disgust.”

I blushed, letting him take me to the canteen. Inside was the rest of the student body, bar Hisonora. The atmosphere seemed unhappy, despite the fact most of the students were smiling.

I guess something happened last night. I took my seat next to Chuu, looking at Motosuki and Kane who sat with us. “W-What’s going on?”

“Huh?” Kane looked up from poking his breakfast. “Oh, hey. You must’ve missed the announcement.”

“Announcement?” I looked to them all. “What announcement? I was in the medical office. I didn’t hear an announcement.”

“Check your motive section,” Motosuki scowled.

I did as he told me, looking at that section meekly. In it was a new motive, one that replaced the old one.

‘COMMIT MURDER BY TOMORROW’S NIGHTTIME ANNOUNCEMENT OR ALL STUDENTS WILL BE KILLED.’

... Well, that was certainly a step up from the last one. I shivered gently as I realised what was going on.

“They... want us to kill each other that badly?” I watched as Hiso came back through, dropping a cup of coffee in front of me. I quickly drank from it, scalding my tongue in the process. “I-If that’s the case, then...”

Hiso’s voice echoed the room then. “We’re still not killing, Osen.”

“But... If we don’t, we all die...” I replied. “That’s what it says.”

“And?” Hiso raised an eyebrow at me. “Listen, Osen. I get that death seems scary, but would you really kill someone else because of it?”

I looked to the others. While they seemed sad at first, I realised it was just acceptance on their faces. Nobody here actually WANTED to die, but nobody wanted to kill, either. All of us had felt what it was like to lay someone’s life down at our hands; what was the point of doing it again?

Cho hummed. “I’m scared... I-I’m scared, but I don’t wanna hurt anyone...”

Kukiko replied with the same tone. “If shedding blood is what prevents our entrapment, then perhaps we should let escape fade.”

Yuno drummed her fingers on the table. “I don’t like the idea of staying here as my final moments, but I’m sure as hell not letting some two-bit villain pretend he’s won because he can’t except we’re stronger than him.”

I nodded. “Okay... I understand.”

Hiso clearly didn’t believe me, glancing at Chuu. “Keep an eye on each other today, please. Try and make sure you guys don’t fall to whatever despair that’ll consume you.”

I guess, at the end of the day, Hiso was right. There was no point to letting D-002 get his way. Not like he’d have much of a choice anyway- he couldn’t kill any of us. That was against the rules.

Rules that I wasn’t sure he had to follow... but rules I knew were in place from previous games, at least.

Well, if I was going to die, I was going to die swinging. I wasn’t going to let the despair of the situation consume me, just like Hiso said.

And that all started with asking Yuno if she’d like to hang out.

**...**

I spent some time ogling Yuno’s figure. We might’ve grown closer that day.

Yuno flipped her hair back. “So, what brings you into my neck of the woods, dear?”

“W-Well, I kinda just wanted to stare at you some more...” I found myself only speaking the truth. “Y-You’re really... I mean, wow.”

Yuno struck a pose, laughing. “Breathe it in, sweetie. You’re looking at only the best swimsuit model in the entire world.”

“Aren’t you vain...?” I couldn’t help it however. I found myself staring at her as she did a pretty frisky dance, showing off everything she had to offer.

“Well, I can’t help it!” She laughed. “When you get brought into this world with such perfect set of genes, you find yourself growing just the slightest bit narcissistic.”

That’s what got me to look away from her. Sure, I’d never been the best looking, but now I was in the presence of someone so... promiscuous... I couldn’t help but feel my imperfections rise to the surface.

Of course, she recognised that immediately. “Hey, what’s up? You look about ready to cry.”

“I...” I swallowed as she got in my line of vision- well, the part of her that she knew I was interested in. “I don’t... like being reminded of how I look.”

“Oh, please!” Suddenly, Yuno grabbed me by the cheeks, making me look up into her eyes. “You think YOU’RE not beautiful? Girl, if I felt that way about chicks I’d be ripping your clothing off right now!”

I blushed intensely. “Y-You mean it...?”

“I mean it. You’re the first girl I’ve ever been tempted by.” Suddenly, I yelped when Yuno slapped my rear. “Come on, girl! You’re practically a goddess!”

I shivered under her touch. “T-That’s...”

“You’re just not comfortable in your own skin, is all.” She finally let me go. “Sure, you’ve got this... bandage thing going on... but you ain’t ugly! Not by a long shot!”

I smiled warmly at her. “T-Thank you. I mean it, I... Hearing a compliment from someone like you is...”

Yuno patted my shoulder. “As payment, you must now massage my breasts.”

“WHAT?!” I yelled, which caused her to laugh at me. “Oh, you’re joking...”

Though I know she was joking, I spent the rest of the little hangout session awkwardly glancing at that particular area. When she eventually left, I felt myself let loose a sigh of absolute relief.

That’s when D-002 made his appearance. “Salutations!”

“What?” I replied meanly. “I’m not playing your game.”

“Oh, no, no, no! I’m just coming to tell you that someone earnt you a very special prize!” The audience applauded. “They earnt you... Drumroll please!”

He pointed to me. I pretended not to hear him.

“... They earnt you... freedom from your infection!”

I paused. “I-In what way?”

As D-002 had no mouth, I was unaware of what emotion he was trying to show me at that point. However, I could assume that the emotion was in no way good, especially when he removed a weird looking pill from his Halloween style cloak.

“Simply take this pill, and you’ll have your infection cleared within moments! It’s a miracle pill, combining all the best medication from around the world- It’s sure to give your immune system a kick in the groin!”

“W-Will it hurt?” I asked, a little afraid of such power.

“Oh, absolutely! But you need to decide whether or not pain is worth it in the long run.” D-002 gave me the pill like a claw handing something from a claw machine. “Take it when you feel like you’re ready.”

I didn’t get a chance to ask him about the pill before he left, leaving a cup of water on the table as he went. Surely such a cure wouldn’t be... real, right?

... As much as I didn’t believe it, I decided just to bite the bullet and sucked down the pill, following it with the cup of water he’d provided. He said it would hurt, which worried me, but I wasn’t about to let him fear monger me into preventing an early death.

An earlier, death. The motive was still in play, after all.

I waited patiently. I must’ve waited for around five minutes before I rolled my eyes and trotted outside, right into the midst of Yoriko.

“Oh, hey.” Yoriko instantly averted his gaze from me. “I heard something about a ‘miracle cure’ and had to come see for myself.”

I tilted my head. “Um... I’ve already taken it.”

“Course you have,” he grumbled. “Don’t worry about it then. It doesn’t matter.”

Before he could walk away, I grabbed his arm. “Wait! What do you mean? What’s going on with you?”

He gritted his teeth back. “I said, it doesn’t matter. Leave me alone.”

“No, it clearly does,” I turned him back to me. “After all, not everyone asks for a miracle cure and then gets offended when they don’t get one. Is something the matter, Yoriko?”

Yoriko paused before tutting and shrugging.

“Alright. I guess I’ve got nothing to hide...” He crossed his arms, leaning on the wall. “Truth is... I’ve got a serious problem. My lungs have something called Bronchitis, and it’s gotten a lot more serious now.”

“Oh...” I immediately felt bad. “I didn’t know. Sorry.”

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna be honest...” Yoriko’s face softened. “It was kind of silly of me to come here anyway. What, I was going to ask you for this mystery pill, expecting you to hand it over, when your infection could be fatal too?”

I shivered. “Yoriko, I...”

Despite being rather loud, Yoriko didn’t seem all that angry. “Sorry, I should’ve taken your feelings into account. Nobody wants to die, after all.”

That was the end of that conversation. Yoriko just walked away after that conversation, leaving me to contemplate what he’d told me.

No one wants to die.

With fear in my heart, I chased after him, my pity for him changing into terror. I didn’t want him to do anything; after all, didn’t D-002 say he’d grant the greatest desire of anyone who committed murder? How didn’t I know that Yoriko’s greatest desire wasn’t getting his lungs fixed?

I reached where he’d run to- The game room, where he was busy looking up at the game room’s ceiling. I yelled for him.

“Yoriko!”

He looked over his shoulder at me. “Osen...? Why did you follow me?”

“I...” I don’t know. Why did I follow him...? “I just don’t want you getting hurt, o-or hurting someone else.”

Yoriko smirked at me. “Well, you’ll be pleased to know I don’t plan to. What need would I have to kill another, considering we all promised we wouldn’t play his game?”

I gulped. “I’m scared, Yoriko. I’m scared that one of us will... will just...”

“Break.” His smirk faded. “Osen... I know it’s stupid to say, but I don’t feel like we’re indirectly strangers. Not anymore. We all have a reason for being here, right now, on planet Earth. Everyone has a reason for life, even if that reason for life... is to die.”

I sniffled. “Y-You’re not making sense.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m not, am I?” Yoriko chuckled. “That was me just trying to lighten the mood with some... what’s the word... Banter?”

I then laughed as he approached back to me. “You’re not very good at banter, then.”

“Hey, I thought I was doing a good job...” He rubbed my shoulder, making me feel better. “Listen. I might be dying young, but I’m still full of wisdom. You need a guy to talk to? I’m your man.”

That at least gave me my smile back. “Okay. Thank you, Yoriko... I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hey... what’re tears for, if not for shedding?”

With that, Yoriko left again, this time reminding me of where I was. I was in the game room- the place that D-002 wished to hold his meetings and sick and twisted games. It was horrific thinking that this place was the place that we were supposed to be afraid of- all the flashing lights and brightly coloured exteriors sure didn’t make you think this place was anything short of ‘fun’.

So why did we have to suffer? Why did D-002 have to make everything so hard on us?

Why was I now looking at a bloody pool at my feet...?

I stumbled away from it, realising there was something else there, too. It was an eyeball, one that shone with blue hue to the iris. Who in the facility had that colour of eyeball?

No, scratch that...

Who here would care enough to have their eyeball ripped out for me?

It was that thought that made me paint the picture. I got up, having tripped away from the eyeball, before dashing out of the room. It was obvious now. Someone had traded my eye’s infection for their own eyeball.

An eye for an eye.

And as I barged into the medical ward, catching both inside off guard, I knew that Kenjiro had done something he knew I couldn’t repay him for.

“Oh, hey!” Kenjiro looked away immediately. “Sorry, didn’t see you come in. I’ll be with you shortly, Osen.”

I swallowed hard. “I know what you did, Ken.”

Kenjiro wouldn’t face me fully. He just kept showing me his left eye- the side that was still intact.

“What do you mean? Look, Osen I’m rather busy, so if you’ve got something you need--”

“I saw the eyeball in the game room,” I interrupted him. “Show me.”

Kenjiro paused. Hiso, the other guy in the room, was busy getting a pill bottle out of the medical cabinet, but he also stopped to smile at Kenjiro.

“Told ya you wouldn’t be able it a secret,” Hiso reprimanded.

“Yes, just...” Kenjiro then looked my direction. Luckily, it seemed like his face wasn’t ruined because of it- it was a hollow socket, plugged with cotton wool. Hiso was busy grabbing him painkillers, which he took graciously.

I took his hands in mine. “Why? Why would you do that?!”

“I’ve told you once, I’ll tell you again,” He responded. “My patients are my responsibility. I messed up, so I made a deal with D-002 to prevent that mistake from becoming fatal.”

“You idiot!” I yelled at him. “We’re going to die anyway! Why would you--”

Hiso cut me off, putting a hand on my shoulder and pushing me backwards. “Careful, Osen. He’s still getting used to having one eye...”

I looked at Kenjiro’s face. The expression... it was like I’d told him I’d shot his pet. He was hurt and angry, but not at me- at himself, for letting himself get himself injured for this.

“I just thought... hey...” He looked at me then. “If we’re going to die... I just don’t want you dying in pain from your infection.”

All my anger faded, and I was left guilty. “I-I... I’m sorry, I didn’t realise how much you cared...”

Hiso grimaced. “You gonna be okay alone, Kenjiro?”

“I’ll be fine, Hiso.” Kenjiro turned away, lazily pushing tools around to act like he was going to be busy. “I’ll... I’ll just sort out this, and I’ll be alright.”

Hiso shrugged. “Alrighty. Osen, you wanna hang out for a bit?”

I nodded. “P-Please...”

Anything to get out of the awkwardness of that situation.

**...**

I spent some time joking around with Hisonora. We grew a little closer that day.

We’d ended up in the canteen, and had spent a few hours drinking coffee and laughing. Hiso felt like a genuine friend in those moments- he’d made jokes, he’d shared stories, and he’d told me things I wanted to hear. It was like he’d known me for years, and I’d just met him.

“Sooo...” I tried to work my way into it. “What’s your talent?”

Hiso laughed it off. “Oh come on. Do you really want to know?”

“I mean, I’m just asking because you haven’t told me it yet.” I rubbed the back of my head as we sat across from each other. “It’s not like you’ve forgotten it, have you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” He smiled warmly. “I just feel like my talent doesn’t matter. It’s the type of person I’m trying to be that should define who I am.”

I tilted my head. He instantly sighed and let me know what he meant.

“Take someone like Yuno,” He explained. “She clearly thinks that she’s beautiful. Nothing wrong there, but does she think that because she’s body confident, or does she think that because her talent needs her to be in that mindset?”

“I... Don’t know?” I responded honestly. “I mean, my talent doesn’t define me. I’m an Honours Student, but I... I don’t feel like I’m one of those stereotypical Honours Student type characters... am I?”

“No, you’re actually tolerable.” He laughed again, and I laughed with him. “But see, it’s that mindset that turns people into their talent’s character. Like, if you were some book-reading nerd who spouted long words to seem smarter...”

I thought about it, nodding as I did. If I was like that, I’d probably not been in this situation to begin with...

“Can I at least get a hint on what it is?” I asked pleadingly. “Is it really bad? Is that why you don’t like telling people?”

Hiso made a thinking face, his lips pursing as he played with the rat’s tail of a beard he had. “Well, define ‘bad’ to you.”

“Have you ever...” I paused, thinking of a substitute for ‘killed someone’ in this scenario. “Have you ever shot a gun?”

“Indeed I have,” he responded.

“Have you ever shot a gun... at, someone?”

“Indeed I have,” he repeated without pause.

I wish I kept going, because in that short beat of silence I let the conversation die. Chuu came in almost immediately after, Hiso got up, telling him he’d ‘warmed me up’ for him, and soon the red suit was replaced by a target-adorned cape.

“Osen... you feeling okay?” Chuu took one of my hands.

“I’m fine, Chuu...” I squeezed his.

“Sorry, I’ve been worrying.” Chuu’s leg was impatiently bouncing under the table. “I don’t want to call anyone out, but Umon... he’s been creeping me out a bit.”

I rubbed my nose. “How come...?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on everyone here.” He tapped the table. “And Umon, he... he’s not right. There’s no way he’s okay in the head, Osen. He was talking to Cerberus about his sacrifices earlier.”

Considering Cerberus claimed his sacrifices were human, I knew that was reason to worry. “Maybe we should talk to him then.”

“And risk him going crazy on us?” Chuu responded instantly. “Think straight for a second, Osen! He’s unstable, but he’s not stupid. It’d only take us saying the wrong thing for him to try and slaughter us!”

I gulped, looking at the door to the canteen. “H-Hey, not so loud...”

Chuu gritted his teeth. “Look, I’ll... I’ll keep a close eye on him, but you need to stay away from him, okay? Just for now.”

Considering we died tomorrow, I didn’t really feel like that was necessary. I watched as Chuu got up, walking out of the room and back into the unknown, but I was quick to follow him out and find that Umon himself was indeed talking to Cerberus.

I watched from the doorway as Chuu tried to get involved with the conversation, only to be ignored by Cerberus and given side eye from Umon. Looks like not many others enjoyed Chuu’s presence.

I walked out, sneaking back to the bedrooms. The time was current 8:34pm, less than half an hour from the nighttime announcement. Had it not been for Masa, I would’ve probably beaten that announcement- however, when the blue-haired girl walked out of Cho’s bedroom with a small smile on her face, I realised that I was about to get myself into another conversation.

“Ah, Osen.” She smiled at me, folding her hands in front of her. “I take it you’re going to bed?”

“Better now than never,” I replied. “How about you?”

“Probably not yet. I’ll go about, straightening stuff out before I sleep myself.” I watched as she smiled brightly to herself. “Sorry, am I bothering you?”

“No, no, I just...” I moved the hair from my eye. “Masa, who are you connected to?”

Masa replied by checking her watch. “It says here I’m connected to a girl called Ini Itinora. I recognise her, too- she works at the local orphanage that I frequent in my line of work.”

I sighed happily. “You work at an orphanage...?”

“I told you... I take pride in my work,” She replied happily. “And so does Ini. She’s rather eccentric, but she’s got some of the greatest heart I’ve ever met in a person. The kids love her- She’s almost child-like.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “I-Is that where you got your...?”

“It is not where I got my bruise, no.” There went the smile. “We are not friendly enough for you to pry into my personal life like that, Osen.”

“Sorry, sorry!” I hated wanting to know everything. “L-Look, I’ll get out of your way. I’ll head to bed.”

Masa nodded, moving swiftly past me without saying a word. Damn me and my inability to shut my mouth! I always ruined conversations, especially when I seemed to be enjoying them...

I headed inside my room then, walking straight to the bed and flopping backwards onto it. Tossing my shoes off, I found myself massaging my feet gently as I heard the nighttime announcement play.

My feet hurt. I had no idea why- I hadn’t walked much today, to be honest. Perhaps it was this ‘miracle cure’ pill working over me now. Perhaps it was just my fatigue of the situation finally catching up to me.

I closed my eyes, listening to the bustle outside of people heading to their rooms, before falling asleep with a gentle, purring snore.

**DAY END**


	7. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 5

**DAY 5**

I stand outside the mansion, my eyes following him gently. Around me wraps a cloak that I had stolen from the drama studio. I look like an idiot.

But at least I can’t be recognised.

I feel my feet move on their own. The Mansion is always guarded heavily by masked men, but I’m wearing one of those masks so they don’t recognise me. Walking straight through into the main room is a piece of cake. I meet with him almost instantly.

“Come in,” he says. “Come in and meet my creation.”

I sit next to him. We watch together as the robot comes to life, his clawed hand curling to reach out to us. He quickly switches it off.

“It’s still a work in progress,” he explains, “but it should be ready for shipping in a week or two.”

I nod. Master will be happy about this. I hand over the last of the payment, letting him leaf through it to make sure it’s all there.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” he tells me. I nod in reply. He is correct.

Master will be happy with the creation. Master has to be.

Master...

**...**

I woke up with a scream. It took me a while to hit me that I was dreaming, but I couldn’t get that image of the creepy smile of that man out of my vision.

It didn’t help the guy was the man I murdered.

Getting out of bed was a struggle. All it took was one look at my watch to be reminded of the fate that awaited us.

“KILL SOMEONE BY TONIGHT’S NIGHT TIME ANNOUNCEMENT OR ALL STUDENTS WILL DIE.”

Such a simple motive. D-002 clearly didn’t care much for human life to put such a rule in place- well, which was obvious considering he was hosting a killing game. Still...

Why didn’t I feel scared? Why did I just feel hollow about this?

... No, I knew why. It was because...

It was because I’d wanted this. Ever since I’d killed him, I knew I wanted to be punished for it. This was just punishment; cruel, cruel punishment, but punishment I’d requested for. The killing game was just me accepting that.

God, I wish I didn’t have to accept that. I wish I had the courage to say I wanted to live, to hurt others just so I could survive. But that’d be hard to live down, and I was barely coping with having justified my kill against...

Was it justified? Was killing a bully who’d... done such horrible things to me, and to Chuu, and to others... Was killing them justified? It wasn’t like it was self-defence- I’d caught him unaware while he’d been hitting Chuu for the umpteenth time.

That meant I... I was in the right, right? I hadn’t killed them in cold blood; I’d done it to protect everyone else who’d suffered because of him.

... Right?

... In that moment, a scream surfaced. Not from my mouth, mind you... from someone outside my door. I found myself stumbling outside, seeing that Cho was standing in horror outside my door.

“Ah, come on!” D-002 was on the other end of the hallway, holding Kenjiro’s eyeball like a damn drama prop. “Surely this is a _sight _you’ve seen before, right?!”

“GET IT AWAY FROM ME!” Cho backed away, falling on her rear. “I DON’T LIKE IT! IT’S WEIRD!”

I stepped out into the hallway, getting in the way. “That’s enough, D-002! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m just having a bit of fun!” He laughed back. “Come on, it’s not like that Masa girl has kept a good enough _eye _on her!”

“Stop it.” I grabbed the eyeball from his claws, tossing it down the hallway behind her. “You’re scaring her.”

“And you think I care?” He crossed his arms. “My job is to make you as miserable as possible, so that you commit murder! Speaking of...”

“We’re not playing your game, D-002.” I crossed my arms back. “You can continue to try and push it onto us over and over, but we’re not doing anything for you.”

D-002 tutted, making the audience ‘Awww’ at us. “What a shame! And here I thought we were going to play a lovely little game! After all, it’s been over a week- a week that you haven’t been conscious for half of!”

“Screw off,” I told him coldly.

Cho finally came up behind me and hugged my leg. I ran my fingers through her hair, attempting to calm her down while D-002 just watched us with prying eyes.

“You can’t be serious.” Suddenly, I was alerted to the fact D-002 had just spoken in a voice that didn’t sound like an over-the-top announcement. “You’re going to give up your lives just because you don’t want to commit murder?”

“We’ve already killed someone before,” I replied to him. “You can’t expect us to want to do that now we know what it’s like.”

D-002 sighed. “Screw it... this is tiring I knew I’d have to do this.”

“Excuse me?” I did ask him that question, but he decided just to walk off without responding. All I could do was watch him go.

Cho pulled on my sleeve. “Osen... I’m hungry. Can we go to the canteen?”

“Of course.”

I smiled at her, taking her by the hand and leading her there. Inside, only one person was here- luckily, it was someone who could take her for me while I went and made breakfast.

“Ah, Masa.” I motioned to Cho. “Do you mind taking Cho while I make her breakfast?”

Masa gave me a suspicious look. “Cho, I have already fed you...”

“Yeah!” She pouted. “But I want a second breakfast!”

Masa giggled to herself. “Well, I suppose I can allow that for today. Will you need any help, Osen?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” I waved as I left, heading straight into the kitchen. Inside, Chuu was cutting up garlic, something I would never expect him to do.

“Oh, hey Osen!” Yoriko waved at me. “Good timing. We were just talking about you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go find my gloves.”

I looked at his hand as he waved, seeing that he was already wearing them. Strange. “Hey, Chuu. What’s up?”

Chuu stayed quiet, but took a second to compose himself as he put the kitchen knife down. “Hey, Osen.”

I sighed. Well, he wasn’t in a good mood- I could tell just by the way he was standing. “Sorry, did I come in at a bad time?”

“No, actually the opposite. You saved me from the worst conversation I’ve ever had.” Chuu turned to me, leaning on the counter. “Yoriko can’t keep his damn mouth shut. Doesn’t help he was talking about something I wasn’t interested in.”

I walked over to the place he was standing, leaning next to him. “... Today’s the day, huh?”

“The day we die,” he responded without so much of a care. “The day our sins finally come back to bite us in the ass.”

I looked to Chuu as he stared straight forward. “Chuu... can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

“Why are you here?” I asked him, a little bit of waver in my voice. “You’re innocent compared to me. I was the one who attacked the bully... you were just being beaten up.”

Chuu tutted. “Well, when the kidnapper knocked you out, my rage got the best of me. I found myself attacking him. Sure, maybe I haven’t killed anyone, but I must’ve pissed him off or something.”

I gritted my teeth. “You’re innocent in all of this.”

“No, I’m not.” I heard him say. “I’m not innocent. I’m far from it.”

I felt his hand interlock fingers with mine.

“Growing up poor... I never really expected to meet someone like--”

I tried to speak, but he cut me off with a sudden hand on my cheek. He turned my face to his before planting his lips onto mine. My eye widened as his closed, his passion scaling with my inability to react.

When he pulled away, a blush on his cheeks, he must’ve seen my absolutely shocked face because he turned away and coughed.

“Sorry, I...” He grimaced. “I don’t know what came over me, I...”

With nothing else to say, I just reacted with ‘Yeah.’

He cleared his throat, turning around and beginning to chop the garlic up some more. We stood in silence, my eye watching his every movement while he just tried to ignore me, but my presence got too much for him to handle and he stopped again.

“... I’ve been...” Chuu slammed the knife into the chopping board, causing me to flinch. “I’ve been waiting to do that. For a while. I don’t know when I developed feelings for you, but...”

I gulped.

“Osen, I...” He turned to me again, meeting my gaze. “I love you.”

I smiled. Of course, my smile wasn’t a friendly one- it was a sorry one, because I...

“Chuu, I... I don’t see you like that.” I tenderly crossed my fingers across each other as I watched his heart break in three pieces. “I’ve only ever seen you as a friend.”

Chuu blinked at me. For once, the anger behind his eyes seemed to fade and was replaced with sorrow.

“I’m sorry, Chuu.” I looked to the floor, not wanting to see that face anymore. “I... I hope this doesn’t affect our friendship.”

Chuu coughed. The atmosphere was about to turn hostile, I could feel it. I took a few ginger steps back, away from what I assumed was Chuu’s build up to possible yelling.

“I’m... Going to... go...” I had backpedalled to the door without even thinking, something I’m sure didn’t look good from Chuu’s standpoint. “C-Come find me... when you’re done doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

I could only hear him say ‘yeah’ under his breath as he grabbed the knife again, beginning to chop up the garlic to a pulp. I left after that, closing the door gently and taking a deep, deep sigh inwards.

And then I heard the sound of smashing plates and cups and took the same type of breath outwards again.

Walking away from that scene was difficult, but I did so with my head held low. Re-entering the canteen, I found that Yoriko was sitting with Cho, playing a game on paper that appeared to be about drawing lines to make boxes. Meanwhile, Masa was cleaning the table on the other side of the room.

I walked over to her. “Um... I advise keeping away from the kitchen for a while.”

“I’ve heard.” Masa bit her lip. “Yoriko told me he’d expected something like this to happen.”

Yoriko looked over at us, shrugging. I shrugged back. Sure, I hated seeing Chuu like this, but I wasn’t about to lie to him and say I wanted to date him. I’d only ever seen him as a friend; I thought he knew that when I came out to him as lesbian. I really hope it didn’t hurt our friendship too much.

Masa took me by the shoulders then. “It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for this. Give him some time to come around, and I’m sure he’ll be willing to listen to reason.”

“Well, I guess...” I rubbed the back of my head. “All we can do now is wait, right?”

“Waiting sounds good.” Masa sat me down, and then sat across from me. “I just want to relax... at least until we’re supposed to die.”

We ended up ‘relaxing’ for about forty five minutes. I don’t even remember what we talked about; I just remember asking a question that made me stop dead in my tracks.

“I wonder how he’s planning to kill us?” I asked.

I was of course referring to D-002; at least a few of us could fight back, surely... It was odd to think about. Why didn’t he do this before? Why didn’t he just try and murder us all at the start?

... How did he _know_... he was going to have to do this...?

I got up suddenly. Masa got up with me. “Osen?”

“I have to go.”

I ran out of the room, chased by Masa as she yelled after me. I rounded the corner, down the corridor and to the kitchen. I grabbed the handle, trying to open it.

“YAAAAH!”

I yelled in pain as the door handle scalded my palm. Masa also tried, but more carefully and with a dish cloth she’d brought. Try as she might, she couldn’t seem to open it. However, I put my weight into the door, toppling everything behind the door, that being a side table and a candle to the floor.

And inside, I...

I...

I collapsed to my knees. My mouth hung open in a silent scream as tears poured from my eye. Masa stood above me, her face surely one in the same as mine when her hands threw themselves over her mouth.

Chuu Nori... my best friend for over half my life...

Lay dead on the floor, a knife in his chest.

... And that’s... when I screamed.

**DAILY LIFE OVER- BEGIN DEADLY LIFE.**


	8. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION

**DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION**

“Hey... Chuu?”

I met with Chuu, sitting on the bench across from him. We were in middle school still, so it was nice to get fresh air without constant teacher supervision.

“Yeah, Osen?” Chuu looked up from his packed lunch.

“Do you know what today is?” I asked him sweetly.

“No...” He swallowed the bite of sandwich he’d been mulching for a while. “What is it?”

“Silly!” I giggled. “It’s the three year anniversary of the day we met!”

He paused. “Don’t use that word. It sounds like we’re dating.”

“Oh... sorry.” I continued smiling as he continued eating. “Still, a year ago today we met for the very first time.”

“How time flies...” He replied, not interested. “Why did you choose me, of all people?”

“Huh?” I tilted my head. “We’re friends, Chuu!”

“Yeah, but... before that. Why did you latch onto me, when there were so many different choices?” He sighed, closing his lunch box for a second to talk to me directly. “Why is it, that when you were sad, you chose me to try and cheer up rather than yourself?”

I looked down at my own food. It consisted of a piece of bread and an apple.

“Maybe it’s because I care more for you than myself,” I replied honestly. “After all, growing up poor, I never thought I’d meet someone like you. It’s like I met someone that I want to be.”

Chuu tutted. “You don’t want to be me, Osen. Honest.”

“And you think I want to be myself?” I replied sharply. “At nine years old, I was more invested in trying to stay alive than biking across town or dancing on the hilltops, but you taught me to be happy with myself.”

Chuu groaned. “And at 12, you’re speaking at me like I know what any of those words mean.”

“It means...” I took his hand in mine. I saw him flinch for a second, but he allowed it to happen. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”

Chuu stayed silent for a moment. In that time, I let go of his hands.

When he laughed, I found myself laughing too, and suddenly the lunch box was pushed in front of me. “Here, eat up. I’m sure you need it more than me.”

“Chuu, don’t--”

“I’ll make you something from now on, okay?” He grabbed my piece of bread and tossed it aside, letting the crows eat at it instead. “In return, all I ask is you never do that again.”

“Do what?” I responded as I looked at what he’d left behind with hungry eyes.

“Speak to me...” He stopped himself. “L-Like that. Like I’m some good person.”

I pushed up my glasses.

I pushed up... my glasses...

**...**

“CHUU!” I was at his side in moments. “CHUU! CHUU, DEAR GOD, NO!”

Masa was out of there in moments. I don’t care where she went. My mind had one thing and one thing in mind only; ‘Save Chuu’.

“Chuu!” I shook his shoulders, tears pouring down my face and soaking my cheek. “Chuu! Please, please don’t be dead! Chuu, don’t leave me!”

Try as I might, shaking him wasn’t doing anything. It didn’t stop me from trying though, even when my shakes began getting feebler and feebler.

“Chuu...” My voice croaked out. “Chuu, don’t leave me here... Chuu, please... Please don’t go... I need you... I need you, Chuu...”

Four bells rang out. I didn’t listen to what they said or what the words meant. At this point, my mind was thoroughly convinced it could wake Chuu up if I just kept talking to him.

“Chuu... This is a joke, right?” I began denying it. I had to. “You can’t be dead. You can’t be... We have to go home together... We have to see everyone...”

A hand put itself on my shoulder. I shook it off.

“Chuu, we can... we can go home... We can see our parents again, we... we can... We can go.” I shook the hand off my shoulder again. “Chuu... just wake up... please... please, you can’t... you wouldn’t...”

“Osen.”

A much larger hand put itself on my shoulder. I didn’t even bother trying.

“He’s gone.”

That was all I needed to hear. That’s when I officially knew for sure that he was dead. I sobbed loudly as Hisonora pulled me up and into a hug, where I let loose the torrent of emotion that I’d been leading up to for all that time directly into his suit jacket.

“I know.” He let me do it. “I know. Just... just cry. It’s alright.”

I could hear other people talking. I couldn’t define the words, but I knew they were there. It sounded like D-002. It probably was D-002. Then, I heard Kenjiro. I guess it could’ve been him.

I just... cried. Even through them speaking. I cried until I had nothing left, and then I just hugged into Hiso as whimpered like an upset dog. Chuu was really gone.

He was really gone... and someone had killed him.

I don’t know what hurt more at this point. That I had just lost my best friend of over nine years, or that someone had taken his life from him. He was the only friend I had, damn it! Who would do this to him?!

When Hiso put me down, I found myself now acutely aware of the eyes on me in the room. Of course they would be; nobody knew him like I did. The glances I got ranged from pitiful to remorseful, and I was wearing both of those glances on my face.

“So, we all done with the pity party?!” Suddenly, D-002’s announcer voice ripped through the atmosphere like scissors through fabric. “Good! I’ve got something to hang out!”

I felt my watch vibrate, and in response I looked at the screen. A new app had been added to the watch- one that filled the missing slot of the watch’s interface. ‘Evidence’ was the name of it...

And I knew exactly what that meant.

“You lot are doing your own investigation!” He cried in that damn tone. “After all, the trial wouldn’t be fair if the robot who knew everything at any point came in and solved it for you!”

“Madness... Simply madness.” Kukiko growled to herself.

D-002 responded by laughing again. It was always either a laugh or some shitty remark. “You’ve got working eyes, love! Use them!”

Hiso pinched his nose, enough force on it to look like he was about ready to pull it off. “Alright, investigation... we just need to find evidence that’ll criminalise the murderer. Seems easy enough.”

“Hold it, big guy!” I felt a twinge of agony when D-002 cut the air again. “Because maybe to YOU it seems easy, but I can assure you my rules will make this very NOT easy.”

“In what way?” He responded.

“Simple! All evidence you gather will not be revealed until the end of the investigation!” D-002 smacked the side of his head, and out of his second largest eye came the holographic display which showed us exactly what he explained, just in a cartoony form. “When you find something that may be resourceful in the trial, that clues will be stored in my data banks. I will then sort through everything that you find and give you clues that I feel will assist in the trial!”

“So essentially...” Motosuki motioned with his hand. “You control what we see as ‘useful’.”

“That’s bulls-bad word!” Yoriko yelled at him. “You could just give us no clues and completely screw us over!”

“Unfortunately, my coding says I have to give a fair trial,” D-002 rebutted. “I’ll even throw in a clue of my own, just so you know there are no hard feelings! Think it of D-002’s SPECIAL CLUE!”

“How do we now the killer wasn’t just... you?” Cho peeked out from behind Masa, avoiding looking at Chuu’s body. “You kill Chuu, and then... you know... trick us into thinking it was someone else.”

D-002 turned off the holographic display. “You really don’t trust me, huh?”

I swear, everyone in the room responded with a big, hearty ‘Yes.’

“Hm. Well, in that case...” D-002 suddenly pushed his way out of the room, which didn’t take much effort because nobody wanted to be touched by him. “I’ll take my leave. You have approximately twenty minutes to investigate... starting now!”

And then he was gone.

And then we were off.

Yuno pointed out the obvious. “We’ll need to split up to search all the rooms. I’ll take the kitchen- Kane, come with me.”

“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Kane responded, leaving almost in a hurry with her in tow.

I looked back to Chuu’s body again. Yoriko put a hand on my shoulder as he walked past, kneeling next to the body with a solemn gaze.

“... You don’t need to do this,” He asked, almost to the body but directed at me. “I’m perfectly okay with doing this myself.”

I shook my head, stepping up next to him. “He... He was my friend. I have to.... I want to. I can’t let him die without knowing what happened.”

Yoriko sighed deeply, watching as everyone left the room. “Alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. First, let’s check the file.”

I looked at the evidence app. There was literally only two pieces in it, with the rest locked behind a large, comical lock, one that jiggled when I poked it and gave me the message ‘revealed during trial!’

One piece was called the D-File, and was probably going to give me the evidence I was expecting. The other was called ‘Special Hint’, and while it caught my interest, I didn’t want to really look at it until I knew what was going on in the D-File.

‘The victim is Chuu Nori, the Ultimate Archer. He was found in the kitchen at approximately 11:40pm. The ultimate cause of death is a stab to the heart.’

I gulped. “S-Stabbed...”

Yoriko clearly bit his tongue, having wanted to make a joke about it. Honestly, I was curious what he was going to say, but I’m glad he didn’t say it.

I knelt next to him. “W-What else...?”

“Do you really wanna know?” He asked me, but didn’t wait for an answer- an answer that was going to be ‘yes’. “Look here... this is a strangle mark. An intense one, too.”

I checked to see he was right- the mark was a straight line, one that had bruised over, thick enough not to be something like an arm or a pair of hands. I didn’t know what it meant, but... I knew it wasn’t good.

“It means that someone tried to strangle him. They could’ve succeeded, too, but they chose to then kill Chuu with the knife instead...” Yoriko kept glancing at me as my face remained stone cold on him. “So... did they catch Chuu off guard, but he fought back and paid the price for it?”

I shakily put my hand on Chuu’s. His skin was ice cold, all warmth having left his body. “I... I should’ve stayed with him. I should’ve talked through things with him. Maybe this would’ve never happened...”

“You have a habit of blaming yourself, huh...” Yoriko looked back to the body before pointing at the other hand. “Hey... he’s got some stuff here.”

“Some... stuff?” I looked at his other hand. A whitish material was pushed onto his palm and fingers. “Oh, that stuff...”

“What even is it?” Yoriko took off his glove, running his finger through it. “It looks like chalk... but why would he have chalk on his hand?”

A mystery, not even a minute into investigating. That was always a good thing.

“Is that... everything...?” I watched as Yoriko carefully took the knife out of Chuu’s chest, a small spurt of blood coming out with it.

“Yeah... That’s all we’re getting from the body, I think. Why?”

I blinked, a tear forming again. I quickly hugged Chuu’s corpse, the last hug I’d ever get to give him. “I’m sorry, Chuu... I promise we’ll find the killer for you.”

Yoriko waited until I had said my goodbyes and stood up to show me the knife.

“Here.” He handed the blade to me, despite my want not to. “It’s a kitchen knife. It must’ve come from here...”

“The weapons room has blades,” I responded. “It could have more knives like this one there.”

“I doubt they’d need to get one from there when the kitchen knife clearly came from this location,” He repeated. “After all, clue’s in the name. This is a _kitchen_ knife- specifically, the kitchen knife specifically designed for cutting vegetables.”

I looked at the chopping board. As I did, my eyes scanned over the room as a whole and my heart sunk. Christ, the room was a mess- multiple cups and plates were smashed all over the place, and two of the counters looked cracked from where a blunt object had hit them. That blunt object was a rolling pin- I knew that because sitting by the entrance of the kitchen was a broken one.

Had this been from Chuu’s temper tantrum? Or had this been from when he was attacked? I looked to Yoriko for answers, but all he gave me was a pair of oddly satiric eyes.

Before I could ask him what was up, he hit me with a theory.

“Here’s what I’m thinking. Chuu is facing away from the door and the killer comes in.” Yoriko walks to the door, mapping out the scene for me. “Killer gets behind Chuu, tries strangling him with something- but he wriggles free and fights back.”

I watched Yoriko as he walks around the middle table, pointing at the cracked areas in turn.

“Then, the killer grabs the kitchen knife from this block,” He points at the knife block as he walks past, “and stabs Chuu here, causing him to tumble backwards and fall into the position he is now.”

I swallowed. “I-I guess...”

“Which means...” To my surprise, Yoriko kept going. “If the killer really did get into this big fight with Chuu... they’ll be injured.”

As much as I hated to thinking about how my best friend could’ve died, I had to admit that Yoriko was onto something. Not like much else was going to get revealed anyway- the entire room was involved in the case, and we’d already searched it all.

With nothing left to do, I checked the Special Hint.

“The killer is over five foot.” I said it allowed, just making sure I was reading it correctly. “That’s... literally everyone.”

“Everyone except Cho,” Yoriko corrected, “which we knew anyway, because we were _in the room she was_.”

I gritted my teeth.

“Oh! Speaking of.” Yoriko immediately continued. “We need to make sure our alibis are alright. Yours especially... you could’ve been the last person to see him... well, alive.”

I flinched. “Well, after our talk in the kitchen, I headed straight to you guys and spent some time with you.”

“That was at 11, and the body was discovered at 11:40.” Yoriko helped walk me through it. “None of us left in that time, so we can safely assume that none of us are the killer.”

That was true- after all, if none of us could head in the kitchen’s direction after I left at 11 that meant that Masa, Yoriko and Cho are innocent.

Something that Akako didn’t seem to agree with when she barged into the room. “Osen, it was you, wasn’t it?!”

I was offended by that remark. “W-What?!”

“Hey, lay off, Akako!” Yoriko instantly got involved, which shut her down quicker than holding the power button a computer. “You honestly think Osen is capable of something like this? Did you SEE how she was when we found her?!”

Akako’s opinion changed pretty quickly. “O-Okay, so maybe it wasn’t her...”

“Thank you,” He responded. “You better give me your alibi as payment.”

“Ugh... Do I have to?” She huffed, crossing her arms, but Yoriko gave her some sort of look that made her crack easy. “A-Alright, I will! But not because I like you or anything... Stupid...”

I stood with Yoriko as Akako messily played with her hair.

“I was in the lounge, alright?! I was...” She went beet red. “I was d-dancing.”

Yoriko raised an eyebrow. “Lounge is right across the hall from the kitchen... you’re telling me you didn’t hear anything happening?”

“These walls are made of stone, stupid!” She replied in the exact same tone she did when saying her alibi. “And besides, I was listening to my favourite song, so I turned up the volume really loud.”

That gave me a sudden thought. “Akako, who are you investigating with?”

“W-Why do you want to know?!” Akako was acting really suspiciously, but that was pretty much her entire character. “It’s Hirota... b-but not because I like her or anything! It’s because she doesn’t speak to me, and that makes me happy.”

I bit the inside of my cheek again, holding back the rude comment I was about to make. Yoriko, somehow, ended up making it for me.

“Alright, get out of here you Tsundere.”

“I’m not a Tsundere!” She yelled back, stomping out angrily. Yoriko waited until she was safely gone before asking me what I expected to hear.

“Why did you ask her who she was investigating with?”

“Because I have a feeling someone is investigating alone.”

It was a fair assumption- there were fifteen people investigating, which meant someone was either doing it alone or pairing in threes. For someone like Kenjiro or Motosuki, who thrived off companionship, it wouldn’t be hard to think they’d pair in threes- but for someone like Hisonora or, God Forbid, Cerberus, they’d probably try to avoid being with someone else.

Suddenly, Yoriko snapped his fingers in front of my eyes, bringing me back into the room. “We don’t have time to stand around speechless, Osen. Come on- At least tell me what you’re thinking.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but my speech was cut off with a sudden angry slam down the other end of the hall. Akako had left the door open, which is why we heard it; I poked my head out to see what was going on, only to find Umon grimacing as he turned down to look at me.

“What the hell happened?” I asked gently.

“I made a stupid comment that I shouldn’t have,” Umon answered hastily. “I was just asking about Masa’s bruise, but... She must’ve not liked the way I said it.”

Cho then pushed out from behind him. “He asked her if it still hurt from where she got punched!”

“It’s a genuine question!” Umon responded. “At least, I thought it was!”

I shook my head, walking out into the hallway. “Umon, have you found anything?”

“Well, my ‘team-mate’ has gone and locked themselves in the weapons room, so I’ve got that going for me.” Umon leant on the wall. “Go see if you can coax them out for me, will ya?”

I didn’t really want to, but I found myself already in the lobby and walking into the room beyond. There, I found Sun-Sing as she was pointing at each weapon in turn.

“Fifty two... Fifty three... Fifty four...” She was counting under her breath as I got closer. “Fifty five... Fifty six. Nothing’s been moved...”

I waited for her to turn to me. To my surprise, she knew I’d come in.

“It’s as I thought,” She told me, a bit of strain in her voice. “Nothing got taken. No guns, no blades, no bullets.”

“Did you count everything?” I asked, shocked.

“Everything dangerous,” She said calmly. “I needed to make sure. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I made sure then too. Nothing got taken.”

Suddenly, a twinge of fear hit my heart. “You’ve done this before. I... I’m sorry, I completely forgot.”

“It’s fine.” It was clearly not fine, as Sun-Sing’s eye twitched. “I’m just making sure. I know nobody would commit murder willingly... it was the motive, of course.”

“The... motive?” I thought back to it. “You mean the greatest desire one?”

“No, no. I mean the other one- the time limit.” Sun-Sing ran a hand up her arm. “Commit murder by night-time. They did it to save us. They did it to make sure we didn’t die hopelessly.”

“Well, we still need to found out who ‘They’ is, so it can’t all be for us,” I assured her, not knowing how far I wanted to push this clearly unstable woman. “Not to sound like a pessimist, but the killer’s not making this easy.”

“Why would they?”

That was about when I saw something else behind her gaze. A sort of... remembrance. Something that I did NOT want to test today. Especially not in this situation.

Sun-Sing then continued. “I suppose you came for an alibi? Well, Hisonora and I were with Umon in the gym earlier today. He was teaching us different type of exercises that he had to perform as a circus performer.”

Though the talk was interesting, I heard a familiar bell- a familiar bell that had been distorted by unfamiliarity.

_DING, DONG, DONG, DING._

“That is all the time you get for investigation, ladies and gentlemen! Time to head back to the Game Room so we can get started with the Class Trial!”

Sun-Sing shrugged. “Unfortunately dear, I suppose that’s all she wrote.”

“Do we have enough evidence?” I asked, wanting to know from someone who would. “Do you think we’ll be able to find out the killer?”

“I don’t see why not...” Sun-Sing scratched under her glove. “Back in my first killing game, we managed to get through one trial with two pieces of evidence and a lying sack of shit.”

I nodded. “Then I suppose we’ll be okay... nobody here seems like a lying sack of... that.”

Sun-Sing giggled, picking at the inside of her ear. I walked towards the Game Room, as I was told, seeing that many of the other students were already there. I pushed past, seeing that D-002 was busy drawing on some mirror-sized picture.

“What are you doing?” I asked angrily.

“Oh, just adding the finishing touches!” Suddenly, D-002 clicked his claw. “RAISE THE PODIUMS!”

The lights flashed wildly as sixteen booth-like areas rose from the floor, all making a large circle as the audience cheered wildly. I blinked, looking at the booths, seeing the all had a little plate with our names on them to make sure we knew who was where.

Hisonora crossed his arms. “So...”

To my surprise, Motosuki stepped into his podium first. “Alrighty! Let’s find this psycho killer!”

Masa ended up standing to his left. “I cannot believe we’re actually doing this...”

Umon took the space next to her. “Kukiko, you’re next to me! Let’s do this so I can get back to what I was doing...”

Kukiko stood next to him with a huff. “The killer of Black Lotus... we must determine them to survive.”

Kenjiro found himself standing next to her. “We’ll do this. For Chuu.”

Sun-Sing took a deep breath in as she got into her position next to Kenjiro. “You’re all so confident. I appreciate it...”

Yoriko was next to her. “This entire situation is just... stupid. Let’s get it over with, please.”

Cho hopped up on the step stool provided to her in her booth next to Yoriko. “Chuu... he was a meanie, but I want to make sure he didn’t die for nothing.”

A space was left to the left of Cho as Yuno took that part. “Let’s be quick about this so I can go back to my beauty sleep.”

Cerberus found himself next to her, saying nothing because he hadn’t been addressed directly. Akako had to stand next to him. “I-I’m not doing this because I like you guys or anything... I just don’t want to die.”

Kane was to the left of her. “Well, I personally like these people, so I’m working for all of us. Let’s find who did it.”

Hirota had to take point next to him. “Chuu no die for reason! We find killer! We do what can to do this!”

Hisonora was reluctant, but he took the podium next to Hirota. “I don’t really want to do this... but if everyone else is good to go, I’ll take part!”

That left only me. I wedged myself between Hisonora and Motosuki, looking at the others with a combination of fear and anger. One of these people had killed Chuu. One of these people were-

“Oh, hang on!” Suddenly, D-002 jumped down from his special podium, walking over and putting the picture on a special stand.

It was Chuu. Well, a big portrait of Chuu... a big portrait of Chuu with a pink X through it. Two triangles were on the top of the lines, made to imitate arrows.

I grimaced as I tried to keep myself on track.

One... of these people, had killed Chuu.

One of these people were attempting to trick us, so they could get away.

One of these people needed to be brought to justice.

**TRIAL- ALL RISE!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're off.
> 
> Any clue who the killer is? Be sure to predict quietly in your heads.
> 
> Hope you join us for later!
> 
> \- Joseph


	9. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL (PART 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIDENCE:
> 
> D-FILE: ‘The victim is Chuu Nori, the Ultimate Archer. They were found in the kitchen at approximately 11:40am. The Ultimate cause of death is a stab to the heart.”
> 
> SPECIAL HINT: The killer is over five foot tall.
> 
> YORIKO’S AUTOPSY: Alongside the stab in the heart, Chuu has been strangled visibly using some long, straight object. Chuu also has a small amount of whitish material on his hand, like he grabbed something in a hurry and it left an imprint on his hand.
> 
> KNIFE: The knife used to kill Chuu is a kitchen knife. It was noted beforehand that there are no kitchen knives stocked in the weapons room.
> 
> RUINED KITCHEN: The kitchen is in ruins. Destroyed crockery lays everywhere, two of the counters are cracked, and a rolling pin has been broken in half near the door’s entrance.
> 
> YORIKO’S PREDICTION: Yoriko has predicted that Chuu hasn’t gone down without a fight. He predicts someone in the facility is injured- that someone being the killer.
> 
> OSEN’S ALIBI: Osen claims that after speaking with Chuu, she spent forty minutes with Masa, Yoriko and Cho in the canteen.
> 
> AKAKO’S ALIBI: Akako, who was across the hall from the kitchen in the lounge, claims she never heard the scuffle due to listening to music while dancing.
> 
> THE MOTIVE: ‘Commit murder by Tonight’s Night-Time announcement or all students will be killed’.
> 
> SUN-SING’S ALIBI: Sun-Sing claims that she, Hisonora and Umon have been in the gym. Umon was trying to teach them different types of exercise.
> 
> 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

**TRIAL PART 1**

“Allow me to begin with a basic explanation of the class trial.”

D-002 was sat on the elevated platform, looking down on all of us with his beady red eyes. I felt the weight of the situation instantly as everyone went completely silent, letting him continue. As he did, I looked at the evidence app, seeing it had been updated with what appeared to be all of the evidence I’d found... and that was it.

“The game is simple! If you committed the murder, your task as the Blackened is to lie and deceive your way out of this. If you are innocent, you are considered the Spotless, and you will be fighting to stop the Blackened from escaping! If the Blackened wins, they will be granted their greatest desire, as well as freedom, but if the Spotless wins the game will continue; but you’ll all live. You have two hours- begin!”

Sun-Sing reacted poorly. “We have a time limit?”

“Duh!” D-002 leant back in his chair. “After all, if you didn’t, you’d be able to discuss for as long as you possibly wanted. The trial will either end at that time limit, or when the true blackened admits their guilt and obviously means it.”

“So we can’t just cheat and work around those rules...” Hisonora tutted. “Alrighty. Where do we start, everyone?”

“Ask the girl who’s been a part of this before,” Motosuki motioned with his thumb. “After all, she’s the one who can deal with this.”

“I feel like we’re putting too much pressure on her,” Kukiko replied. “After all, do you not think Sunflower would be abhorred from killing?”

“I thought the same thing about all of us!” Yuno leant on the podium, clearly showing her cleavage. “And then you fucks went and broke the trust!”

“Hey, only one fuck,” Yoriko corrected her. “I’ve got nothing to do with this.”

“Yes, tell it to judge.” Hirota pulled her hood over her eyes. “All us able to say that. Not all mean it. Not all tell truth.”

“She’s right,” Umon crossed his arms. “After all, one of us if fighting for our freedom, if not for that ‘greatest desire’ thing.”

“Ugh...” Cho pulled delicately at her sleeves. “I don’t like it... do I have to be here?”

“No leaving your podiums until the trial is over!” D-002 yelled at her. “And besides, the door is in the ceiling now. I had to move this entire room downwards to make those podiums appear! Don’t ruin it.”

I looked to where the entrance to the room was, and saw that he was correct. The door was now about three-quarters up the wall, the floor having seemingly moved downwards.

Kukiko sighed. “As one of the ones who saw the body, I think I should--”

“So we have to go through with this...” Kane adjusted the frills of his outfit as he interrupted. “Then so be it. Everyone, let us discuss the cause of death!”

“We already know it,” Kenjiro replied. “Chuu was stabbed in the heart. It says so in the file.”

I sighed. The room felt like it was spinning as I listened to everyone debate what was going on.

“Alright, let’s go over what we know on the surface.” Yoriko was kind enough to put the first word in. “In the kitchen, Chuu was killed by a stab to the heart.”

“I think we all agree with that,” Masa grimaced.

“Alright, and we’re all aware it happened at 11:40 in the morning.” Yoriko rolled his wrist about.

“W-Where are you going with this?!” Akako spat. “Out with it!”

“Well, did you guys know he was also strangled?” Yoriko asked with a condescending tone. “Because he was.”

“Well, how do you know that?” Cho whimpered. “It **never said that anywhere...”**

For some reason, I felt my heart surge forward with a bullet-like response.

“No, that’s wrong!” Everyone stopped, staring at me in silence. I coughed twice, tapping my watch. “Um, it says so on the evidence app. Yoriko did an autopsy, and...”

“You TOUCHED his body?!” Yuno giggled haughtily. “Sorry, dear, I didn’t know you swung that way.”

“First of all, can it.” Yoriko pointed at her without looking in her direction. “Second of all, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to survive.”

We all went quiet for a bit, because I don’t think any of us really expected such a callous response- despite the fact we were discussing a dead body here.

“... And third of all, you’re gay?” Yuno asked in disrespect.

“OH MY GOD, YES!” Yoriko roared at her, losing his patience. “I am! Have been since Middle School! This isn’t the time!”

Next came the hard part. The part I knew I was going to have to face eventually. I just wish it wasn’t her who yelled at me about it.

“So, it’s Osen then?” Akako huffed. “Alright, yeah, it has to be her.”

“What? Why?!” I yelled back.

“Simple!” Akako took a second to make the theory in her head. “Because Osen was the person who was closest to Chuu! So he like... let her do it, right?”

Hisonora furrowed his brow. “I... don’t follow.”

“Yeah, like...” Akako clearly didn’t like the attention. “L-Like... Oh, lemme explain a second.”

“Nobody was stopping you,” Hisonora replied. “Please, continue.”

I guess you can consider what happened next a debate, as it did have people attempting to make theories out of Akako’s blubbering.

“Okay, so...” Akako had to really use her hands to make the theory come to life. “Like, Osen... talks with Chuu, right?”

“Uh... huh...” I could tell Kane was bored of the conversation almost instantly.

“And then...” Akako tried to keep going. “Then, Osen comes up behinds him and tries to strangle him!”

“And what exactly did she use?” Kenjiro crossed his arms, not impressed.

Akako, however, just kept moving on. “Realising that it was Osen, Chuu like... got her to stop...”

“Can I get a word in here?” Umon tried, and failed, to get a word in.

“And then, she stabbed him in the chest!” Akako put her hands into the air. “Because he, like, liked her. And stuff.”

“Oh, really?” Yoriko rolled his eyes. “And when would she do this, exactly?”

“Um, obviously she’d do it at like... **11:30** or something!”

“Actually, that’s not possible.” I checked my alibi, making sure it wasn’t modified. “After meeting with Chuu at 11:00, I spent 40 minutes in the canteen with Masa, Yoriko and Cho.”

“I can confirm that.” Yoriko clicked at me.

“So can I!” Cho yelled over him.

“And I can too...” Masa bowed to me.

Akako puffed her cheeks. “Mmm...”

Yoriko groaned. “Well, now that’s out of the way--”

“**LET ME STRETCH THIS A BIT!”**

I flinched when Akako’s voice echoed over everything else in the room. Suddenly, I was aware that she was shaking, but she seemed to be pushing herself in order to keep attention on her. “W-What now?!”

“Actually! Actually, actually!” Akako tapped her watch violently. “Osen’s alibi never says WHAT time she left the canteen! How do we know for sure she’s telling the truth?!”

“I... what?” Masa tilted her head. “Akako, that makes no sense. We were all together.”

“How do I know you’re not all working together?!” Akako was getting flustered. “_How do I know you’re not all in on this_?!”

A one-on-one showdown began between Akako and I out of nowhere. It seemed stupid at first- okay, for like, the entire thing- but thanks to her we were able to learn something new.

It just took a slog to get there.

“How do I know that you’re truly innocent?!” Akako gritted her teeth, her face still beet red. “You could be like, p-pulling a long scheme on us! Like, trying to string us all into a web of lies and throttling us with your... lies, you... liar!”

I put my hands up in defence. “Please, Akako, calm down. I’m not trying to do anything to hurt any of you...”

“Well then explain why Chuu is dead!” Akako yelled back, a strange emotion in her voice I didn’t recognise. “Explain why he’s gone, and there’s nothing to show for it! It’s not like **you have any proof you fought him**! He let you kill him, you... you...!”

“No, wait!” I stopped her. “I do have proof! Yoriko can agree with me!”

Yoriko paused. “Oh, yeah. My prediction... as it’s so lovingly put here, at least.”

Akako looked at it on her watch as I continued.

“There is no chance that Chuu didn’t go down without a fight.” I ran my hand up my arm, adjusting my sleeve. “After all, he’s... well, he’s Chuu. But you’re aiming at the wrong person here... I never hurt him.”

Akako’s eye twitched as she went back into her pouty face. “No, I’m sure you... I can’t b-believe it...!”

“But why, Akako?” I found myself asking. “Why are you adamant that you’re blaming this on the guilty suspect?”

“Perhaps...” From across the room, Umon put a hand on his chin. “It’s because she’s the guilty suspect herself.”

Akako paused.

And then, she exploded.

“WHAT?!” Akako’s voice broke. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! HOW DARE YOU EVEN INSINUATE THAT I’M THE KILLER! I SHOULD SLAP YOU FROM HERE TO THE MOON!”

Cho put her hands over her ears as Kenjiro tried to speak up. “Hey, Akako, calm down! Umon was just making a point...”

“A valid one, too.” Umon extended his hand. “After all, Akako’s so clearly adamant it’s someone else... perhaps she’s hiding something?”

We went into another debate then. I had to make sure I knew exactly what they were saying before I made my point.

“I am NOT the killer!” Akako continued to rant. “To think, you even would make that point!”

“It’s a good point!” Umon defended himself. “After all, you’ve gone so far into this rabbit hole of Osen being the killer; why can’t we do the same for you?”

“Because unlike her, I-I’m not the killer!” Akako pouted, crossing her arms. “And that’s that.”

“It’s really not,” Kenjiro replied earnestly.

“W-Well!” Akako’s face blushed again. “M-Maybe I have an alibi too! Maybe **I** **have a reason I can’t be the killer** either!”

Luckily for Akako, I wasn’t petty.

“I agree with that,” I said carefully. “After all, Akako was in the lounge all day. Her alibi proves that.”

“Yeah!” Akako bit her lip, giving me thankful eyes. “I was listening to Lucid Snow in the lounge. I dance when I’m sad... or angry... okay, I just dance a lot.”

Hirota was busy trying to work her watch. “I not understand. Why do ‘al-ee-bye’ prove Akako not kill Chuu?”

“Well, because it’s there.”

To my surprise, Hisonora was the one who came in with the evidence. However, he put it so much better than I’d ever be able to.

“D-002 said he’d provided evidence that was necessary to the trial, correct?” Hisonora continued. “That’s why stuff like Yoriko’s Prediction is in the evidence. If it wasn’t necessary to the trial, it wouldn’t be in the app.”

“So...” Hirota tried to spin it in her own words. “If Akako lie of ‘al-ee-bye’... it not appear?”

“Well, that certainly makes things easier,” Kane mentioned. “Well, not for me, considering I can’t read... but it’s useful for the rest of you!”

“You... what?” Masa interlocked her fingers. “You can’t read? You’re a scholar... Isn’t that counter-intuitive...?”

Yuno then sparked. “Wait! Is that why you came into MY room last night, despite the door clearly having my name on it?!”

“No,” Motosuki snickered. “That’s because he was planning to sleep with you.”

As the others bickered, I realised quickly that Cerberus was looking at me with almost begging eyes. “Hey, Cerberus... you need to say something?”

Cerberus almost seemed thankful I’d let him speak, because he did so like a dam breaking. “If the evidence is all true, and there are no lies... how do we know for sure that D-002 isn’t excluding evidence that points to the killer? After all, the alibis written here are all from people who were close enough to the scene of the crime to seem suspicious, but not directly tie them to the kill.”

“That’s a very good point, Cerberus!” Hisonora then turned to D-002. “Well, D-double D?”

D-002 growled. “What exactly am I supposed to be admitting here?”

“What kind of evidence are you hiding from us?” Hisonora raised an eyebrow. “After all, you were the one that said you’d sort it out.”

D-002 rolls his fifteen eyes at us. “Puh-Lease! That’s not my job to tell you! There’s a piece of evidence in here that’s literally just a small stone! I’m doing the best I can here.”

I adjusted my bandages. Christ, I didn’t get them changed today...

“Look, let’s just move on,” Umon mentioned. “I want to know a little more about the scene of the crime. Says here the place was destroyed?”

Yoriko nodded. “Yep. Place was in tatters... destroyed plates, destroyed counters...”

“In that case, let’s match some evidence!” Motosuki said suddenly. “Let’s see which pieces of evidence go where!”

I nodded. That was a very good point... a point that made a new discussion.

“So, I think we can safely match all the evidence into pairs, right?” Yoriko asked everyone.

Hirota hummed. “My app in Iceland. I read good.”

“So, Chuu’s murder was committed by someone who attacked him from behind.” Yoriko continued. “But Chuu fought back, causing the scene in the kitchen, yeah?”

“I think we can put Yoriko’s prediction aside for now,” Masa added to the discussion. “As we can the alibis.”

“The knife was used in the killing...” Cho tried to be brave. “M-Maybe that links to... something?”

Yuno then brought up a serious point. “This ‘Special Hint’ shit is confusing me... it doesn’t mean anything important!”

I quickly shut her down. “No, actually... The Special Hint protects one person from being the killer.”

Hisonora paused. “Ah... Two people.”

“Two?” Kane gave him a look. “Wait, what’s the special hint say?”

“It says that the killer is over five foot,” Yuno replied. “But that’s all of us...”

“All but _two_ of us!” Hisonora said louder. “Cho is four foot three... and D-002 is four foot exactly. So it can’t be either of them.”

“Way to uproot the blame, D-002...” Motosuki sighed.

“Hey! I told ya!” D-002 pointed with his claw. “I can’t be directly involved with this kill! It’s just not allowed!”

Once again, I felt Hisonora look at D-002 with odd eyes. Seems he was storing something for later; something I wasn’t going to hear about, most likely.

Yoriko decided to go over what we’d discussed so far. “So, Chuu was attacked from behind- strangled, most likely- but he fought back, and got stabbed in response. So far, all we know is that the killer isn’t Osen, Masa, Cho, Akako or me.”

I drummed my fingers on the podium. “That’s still ten people it could be.”

“In that case,” Hisonora spoke up again, “I’d like to put in my own two cents. Sun-Sing, Umon and I were in the gym area.”

I looked at Sun-Sing’s alibi. Sure enough, Hiso had just repeated what she’d said in it. “Okay, so that’s three more people it can’t be, right...?”

Sun-Sing flinched. I swear, when I looked at her I realised she was trying desperately not to cry.

“... Sun-Sing? Is something wrong?”

She eeped. “N-No, I... I need to... Speak up, I need to say something.”

“Then do it!” Motosuki waved his hand outwards. “If you’ve got something to say, say it! Not like we’ll judge you for it!”

“... It’s not... exactly right.” Sun-Sing clawed at the watch. “The alibi, it’s not exactly right. There’s something left out of it.”

I tilted my head. However, that’s as far as Sun-Sing seemed willing to go, so I had to keep pushing her. “Sun-Sing, if there’s something you need to tell us--”

“I wasn’t with them the whole time.”

My eyes instantly clocked Umon, who had a bored expression on his face. “Huh?”

“Is that what you wanted to say, Sun-Sing?” Umon checked his nails. “You wanted to say ‘Umon left for ten minutes, and then the body announcement went off’ and get me involved in this kill somehow?”

Sun-Sing pulled her hair over her face so she couldn’t look at us.

“Thought so.” Umon sighed, putting his hand down and stroking it along the podium. “I went to the bathroom. The only bathrooms in this place are inside the bedrooms, so I had to walk past the kitchen. Very suspicious I know, but I was actually using the toilet as the announcement went off.”

Hisonora scratched the back of his hand. “Nothing sounds wrong with that, I’m sure. Except the fact that nobody saw you do so...”

“Sure they did!” Umon reached over, patting Kukiko on the back. “This girl here did! Didn’t you Kukiko?”

“Hm?” Kukiko snapped out of her own little world. “Ah, yes. I noticed Amarntharus coming out of the bedrooms while I was in the corridor behind you all. Granted, that did mean I never got to see the body... Though maybe not seeing Black Lotus’ body was for the best...”

...

No... That’s wrong. Kukiko was lying.

But how could I prove it without solid evidence...?

For a second, the world went dark as I tried to focus on what I’d heard before. The words of a liar trying to keep themselves afloat. However, one of her first sentences now completely contradicted her last.

_“As one of the ones who saw the body, I think I should--”_

“Hold it!” I pointed at Kukiko. “Didn’t you say at the start of the trial that you saw the body?”

“Ah, that’s... not exactly true...” Kukiko interlocked her pointer fingers. “I, um... I uh...”

That’s when Kenjiro, whose missing eye remained closed through the entire trial, finally opened it, the hollow socket behind causing me to gag. “Kukiko... You...”

Cerberus, out of nowhere, pulled out a coin. Where he got it from, I have no idea, but he began twirling it up and under his fingers. It did attract attention, and before I could even ask him what was up, he flicked the coin in Kukiko’s direction...

And it bounced directly off of Kukiko’s forehead, much to her surprise.

“... Who threw that? Was that you, Wilt?”

Kukiko looked in the direction it came from. Suddenly, it all made sense- more sense than I think I could have ever expected. More sense than I doubt I could have ever conditioned.

Kukiko was blind.

That’s why she relied on hearing. That’s why I only ever found her with someone else. That’s why she waited until people spoke up before speaking herself.

That’s why my nickname didn’t make sense.

After all, why give the name ‘Bluebell’ to someone like me...?

“That does mean something else, however.” Cerberus actually spoke then, the words that Kukiko had spoken being his opening. “If Kukiko is completely blind, does that make Umon a liar... and furthermore, does that make Umon a manipulative liar?”

... Of course. I’d never even thought of that.

Umon had a nervous smirk on his face as we all turned to face him. He looked away, looking a lot like Akako now, which was funny because he was blaming her just minutes ago.

“Hah... Well...” Umon’s voice wavered. “That’s just great.”

“Umon...” I felt my rage bubble over. “Y-You... you killed Chuu.”

Umon sucked air through his teeth. “Ah, see, that’s... not true. I didn’t do anything. I...”

Akako shook angrily. “You bitch! You tried to blame me for this!”

“We found the lying sack of shit...” Sun-Sing said into her hands.

“So... Umon kill Chuu?” Hirota asked us. “Chuu die because Umon kill him?”

“Looks like it,” Hisonora crossed his arms and said. “And to think, I trusted you...”

Instantly, the entire room turned on Umon, who just stood there with a pathetically joyful smile. I didn’t say anything. I simply watched as Umon’s face changed from joyful... to creepy...

To insane.

“Heh... heheheh...” Umon laughed to himself as the room began to fade of its collective anger. “Look at you all... Stupidly pointing out the obvious.”

“... I’m sorry?” Yuno blinked at him. “Excuse me, what did you just call me?”

Umon looked upwards, his eyes staring down at us ominously. Instantly, I felt a surge of regret him me as I realised that he... He was...

He was laughing.

“And to think, I truly ever tried to be normal around you all.” Umon looked back down. “That religious bitch told me just to be myself... but even now, I’ve been hiding my true intentions...”

“The fuck is you on about?” Motosuki asked.

“This... is truly who I am...” Umon took a deep breath, reeling back in revelation. “When light hits the immovable object, it leaves a remnant of forgotten fear. That is what I am... a Shadow, waiting to fade into darkness...”

I shivered when he looked directly at me.

“I am Umon Shigenobi. And I... am the killer.”

I gulped hard.

Somehow... I truly doubted that.

**INTERMISSION**


	10. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL PART 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIDENCE:  
D-FILE: ‘The victim is Chuu Nori, the Ultimate Archer. They were found in the kitchen at approximately 11:40am. The Ultimate cause of death is a stab to the heart.”  
SPECIAL HINT: The killer is over five foot tall.  
YORIKO’S AUTOPSY: Alongside the stab in the heart, Chuu has been strangled visibly using some long, straight object. Chuu also has a small amount of whitish material on his hand, like he grabbed something in a hurry and it left an imprint on his hand.  
KNIFE: The knife used to kill Chuu is a kitchen knife. It was noted beforehand that there are no kitchen knives stocked in the weapons room.  
RUINED KITCHEN: The kitchen is in ruins. Destroyed crockery lays everywhere, two of the counters are cracked, and a rolling pin has been broken in half near the door’s entrance.  
YORIKO’S PREDICTION: Yoriko has predicted that Chuu hasn’t gone down without a fight. He predicts someone in the facility is injured- that someone being the killer.  
OSEN’S ALIBI: Osen claims that after speaking with Chuu, she spent forty minutes with Masa, Yoriko and Cho in the canteen.  
AKAKO’S ALIBI: Akako, who was across the hall from the kitchen in the lounge, claims she never heard the scuffle due to listening to music while dancing.  
THE MOTIVE: ‘Commit murder by Tonight’s Night-Time announcement or all students will be killed’.  
SUN-SING’S ALIBI: Sun-Sing claims that she, Hisonora and Umon have been in the gym. Umon was trying to teach them different types of exercise.  
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

**TRIAL RESUME**

_“I don’t know what to do.”_

That’s the first thing I thought when I realised that Umon was doing a discussion without me. After all, what could I say? Whatever the hell happened to him... it wasn’t like he was joking around, was it?

Umon hadn’t killed Chuu. There was no way. There was no way in HELL that Umon had killed him. All I had to do was pay attention... but...

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking to my left, I saw Hisonora had once again snapped me out of my grief.

“C’mon, Osen... Don’t take this.”

... He was right. I couldn’t let Umon lead the discussion- someone like him just wanted attention. Someone like him wanted to fade our morales, turn us all against him.

He was a bully. And lord knows I hated them.

So, just as he spoke his final sentence...

“Oh, and sorry about the mess! **Chuu fought back pretty damn messily**...”

I snapped. “NO! That’s wrong!”

Umon put his hands up in defence dramatically. “Oh, you want to test that theory do you, Osen? It’s not like you can counter. After all, you yourself put it best- The kitchen was a mess.”

“Yes, it was.” I flicked to the Ruined Kitchen Hint. “But not because of you. See, earlier that day, Chuu and I had talked, as I said. After the conversation, though... Chuu had a bit of a hissy fit.”

Umon raised an eyebrow.

“He threw a tantrum, to word it better.” Yoriko was at my defence in moments. “Who knows how much of that destruction was because of Chuu and how much was of the fight?”

I motioned back to me. “Actually, I think I can. Before I walked off, I heard a lot of plates and cups smashing- I can assume that the discarded plates and cups and things are his fault, and the damaged countertops and rolling pin are from the fight.”

“Oh, can I... speak?” Cho waved about. “Why was the rolling pin broken, exactly? I know for a fact that it takes a lot of effort to break a rolling pin!”

“Someone extremely strong must’ve broken it,” I heard Kenjiro mention, his eyes looking at Hisonora.

“Now don’t go putting this on me!” Hisonora laughed, despite sounding rather cold about it. “I’ve got an alibi, as we’ve stated. Unless that rolling pin was broken in that room beforehand?”

I shook my head. “It would’ve been in the way of the door, so no, it wasn’t.”

“Honestly?” Motosuki fiddled with one of his rings. “I think we should question the people who DON’T have alibis. That being, people who don’t appear in the evidence.”

“That includes you?” Kane questioned him.

“Yeah, it includes me, but... I’m willing to say that if it can prove who the killer is.” Motosuki paused. “It’s not me, by the way.”

“Alright... Let’s go with Motosuki’s idea, then.” Yoriko hummed pleasantly, apparently happy with Motosuki’s compliance. “Let’s go in order... Motosuki, please, begin whenever you’re ready.”

And like that, another discussion began. This one was around the locations of people, so it was bound to shed some light... right?

“Alright, Alright!” Motosuki was cheerful about it, at least... “I’ve been sleeping in the past few days, so I was probably in my room until around twenty minutes past eleven! Then, I made my way to the office to listen to some music because the lounge was locked.”

Akako huffed. “Yes, I locked it. To keep prying eyes from w-watching me.”

“I was with Aloe Vera, wherever that is.” Kukiko looked vaguely in the direction where he was.

“We were in the medical room,” Kenjiro replied honestly. “I was waiting for Osen to change her bandages, but she never came.”

“And I was in the medical room too,” Kane mentioned offhandedly.

“I can also confirm that,” Kenjiro nodded back.

“_Me with Yuno until eleven._” Hirota chattered her teeth. “She leave, I talk to self in Game Room. Robot try talk to me, no respond, he leave. Some time later, alarm go off- Chuu dead.”

... Wait, what did she just say?

Yoriko then let Cerberus go. “Go ahead, Cultist Boy. What about you?”

“I was with Yuno until about eleven thirty... I don’t pay much attention to time, so I’d probably guess **we spent an hour together** before she left?”

I had to stop him there. “Wait, so you and Hirota both spent time with Yuno?”

“That correct!” Hirota clapped her gloves together. “We talk all thing body. She very happy with self- want teach other about body type.”

Cerberus gave me a look. “Why is this a problem, exactly?”

“It’s the fact that both of you gave conflicting times,” I replied. “Hirota, you said you were with her until eleven- while Cerberus, you said it was until eleven thirty, but said you spent an hour with her.”

Hisonora picked up what I was saying. “Which means one of you is either really, really bad at keeping the time...”

“Or one of you is lying,” Sun-Sing finished.

Hirota blinked. Cerberus coughed. Umon laughed.

Yuno sighed. “Hey, you could just ask me for my opinion, you know. I’d say it was around eleven when I left Hirota, and headed to where Cerberus was. But yes, we did spend an hour together.”

“But that makes no sense!” Cho yelled suddenly. “Even I know that! An hour isn’t thirty minutes!”

“Yuno, can you stop confusing us all?” Umon said with venom. Luckily, I didn’t need to question it, because Umon then laughed at the top of his lungs. “Actually... fuck it. I’m bored, and we’re an hour into the trial, so I’m going to just say who the killer is.”

“Wait... you know?” Kukiko tried to look at him. “Then why have you been hiding it this whole time...?”

“For the same reason I ever became a Shadow in the first place...” Umon laughed to himself. “I was supposed to prevent the killing games from ever happening. Of course, it’s clear now I’m not very good at it... Look at you all, squirming under the watchful eye of our captor, desperately trying to hold yourselves in place.”

I bit my lip. “Umon... what has gotten into you...?”

“SAME THING THAT ALWAYS DOES!” Umon yelled back. “I fell to Despair! I dunno- maybe watching an entire circus tent of people dying in front of you is the turning point... Though I guess I did do it on purpose.”

“You...” Kenjiro gripped his hair. “You’re confusing me...”

“Well then, let’s bring something to light then!” Umon laughed, preparing himself. “Well now... The killer is Yuno.”

A pause. That’s all the judgement we can all really do. After all, Umon had just openly admitted who the killer was.

... But was he lying? That was another thought. After all, he’d lied about his personality thus far. Who knows how many more things he was willing to lie about now he was free to do so?

Yuno reacted poorly to the remark. “Oh, you did NOT just accuse me of murder.”

“Hey, you’re the one who walked out of the kitchen at eleven thirty this morning.” Umon flipped her off subtly. “I didn’t even need to look into the kitchen to see that you’d killed someone.”

“Wait, so...” Cho looked to Cerberus. “Cerberus, why did you lie and go along with it?”

Cerberus tilted his head back. “You will not believe my reason.”

“I’ve believed worse,” Hisonora replied. “I believed Umon was sane until today, I’m sure I can believe with whatever excuse you’ll give.”

Cerberus motioned with his hand to Umon. “It was a direct request from Umon during investigation. He told me to pretend I was with Yuno until around eleven thirty.”

Yuno wavered. “T-That’s... You... You tricked him. You... You tricked me!”

“Just admit you’re the killer, will you? This shit’s getting tedious,” Umon stated. “There are a hundred and one things pointing you out now. Unless you’d like another debate as to how you’re not the killer?”

Yuno nodded. “Yes, very much so! You’re accusing an innocent person!”

“Stop denying it,” Umon replied with boredom. “Come on... let’s see how far you can stretch this...”

Akako didn’t appreciate the statement, but it wasn’t like she was about to stop him. Time for another discussion.

“I’m not having this!” Yuno yelled. “If you want to paint me black, you better have reason to do so! Start with the proof!”

“Alright- exhibit A.” Umon crossed his arms. “I saw you leave the kitchen at 11:30m. And that’s the proof I need.”

“One piece of evidence isn’t enough to condemn someone,” Sun-Sing replied. “Plus, that’s just from what you’ve said. If it was important, it’d be on the list.”

Kukiko continued from that point. “Was there anything at the scene that could point out Yuno was the killer?”

“Well, sure as hell wasn’t the knife,” Motosuki mentioned. “Says it was a kitchen knife. Kitchen knife in the kitchen doesn’t seem unlikely.”

“And we’ve already said why the kitchen was destroyed, right?” Cho was getting more confident in speaking. “It’s because Chuu fought back against whoever killed him.”

“So that means that there’s nothing,” Yoriko responded. “**Not like Yuno has any clothing **that she could leave behind...”

“Wait... that’s...” I suddenly went back to Yoriko’s Prediction. “You’re right! Yuno doesn’t wear much clothing- she’s always in a bikini.”

“... And?!” Yuno asked me rather violently. “Just because I’m body confident, suddenly I’m suspicious?!”

“Well, there is one reason why that makes you suspicious,” I replied. “Because I remember what you were wearing the day I met you. Specifically...”

I pointed to her legs behind the podium.

“What you were wearing on your feet!” The fact Yuno’s face went pale made me think that she already knew I knew. “Yoriko’s prediction was right- the killer has to be injured, because Chuu wouldn’t let himself die without a fight.”

“But... if the wounds were on the feet...” Cho seemed to be catching on, too.

“So, Yuno...” Umon laughed. “You gonna show us your soles?”

Yuno roars. “Oh, shut UP! You don’t know half the things that have happened, do you?! I’m not the killer!”

Umon rolls his eyes. “Oh, she is. Unfortunately, you now need to admit it, or you’ll just be dragging this on to the end.”

“Like hell will I admit that shit!” Yuno had gone feral, almost disturbing. Her eyes seemed to flash a pair of skull and crossbones at me when she stared daggers my way. “You! You’re trying to kill me! You’re trying to kill me so you can be the hero... But I’m not letting you kill me... I’m not letting you kill me!”

I gripped my heart as she continued.

“I’m not the killer! You’re all stupid! You’re all so stupid!” Yuno pulled at her hair, causing it to go matted. “You’re all believing his lies! I’m not the killer! I never tried to kill Chuu! I never tried to hurt him!”

And then, the realisation hit me like a freight train. I had to say the sentence quick, before Yuno tried pulling everyone to her side...

“Chuu attacked you first.”

Yuno turned off her anger like a switch as she looked back at me.

“T-This whole time...” I kept a steady grip on my clothing above my heart. “This whole time, I thought... I thought it was you. I blamed you for killing Chuu because... I never thought of the possibility.”

Yuno blinked at me. “Y-You... You’re... forgiving me?”

“No, I don’t forgive you.” I replied sharply. “But I now realise that you’re not at fault. I realise now that... you... you never meant to hurt him. To hurt me.”

Umon tutted. “So at the end of it all, you don’t even get the point.”

“No, I get the point.” I looked up at him, tears now falling from my eye. “I’m upset about what happened. I know that Chuu... Chuu would’ve killed someone to escape from this place, had Yuno not fought back. But... at the end of the day... the person I should b-be blaming... i-is...”

I stifled a sob.

“Is myself.” I broke down, collapsing slightly onto my podium. “I shouldn’t have left him! I should’ve stayed with him- I should’ve prevented this! I COULD’VE STOPPED HIM!”

Yuno didn’t know how to react. She glanced at someone in the other direction, probably at Umon who was giving me a confused look.

“If we’d just talked things out, I’m sure it would’ve been better.” I put my head down. “I could’ve prevented all of this. I could’ve... Chuu could’ve been alive, had I not...”

Umon growled then. “What’s the chance Chuu has been planning to do this since the start, Osen?”

I looked up at him, the sour smile back on his face. “W-What...?”

“Murder’s not a surge-of-the-moment thing, you know.” That was a lie, but Umon knew I wasn’t in the state to question it. “Chuu’s probably been planning to do this since the beginning of today- heck, maybe even yesterday. I doubt even you could’ve stopped this.”

I was about ready to start crying again... but Sun-Sing beat my tears.

“Chuu was probably planning this... to prevent our demise.” She looked at Umon, her gaze enough to shut him up. “I like to think that... Chuu didn’t want any of us to die, so he was willing to sacrifice himself and one other person to stop that.”

“That’s definitely not--” Umon tried to say.

“That’s the story I’m sticking with,” Sun-Sing replied with a hiss.

“So this entire time...” Kenjiro grabbed his wrist, rolling it gently. “Yuno’s just been trying to fight for her innocence... because Chuu forced her to be a killer?”

“Such a stupid theory...” Umon grumbled to himself, but it was clear no one was listening now. He had to watch in vain as I cried and everyone else looked at Yuno with pity.

The silence, of course, got D-002 agitated.

“Alright, Alright! I think it’s clear who the killer is! How about we do ourselves a vote?!” He asked with that familiar tone.

“W-WAIT!” Yuno yelled. “I... Alright, I admit it! I’m the killer, but... I didn’t mean to! I just wanted something to eat, for crying out loud! I’ve been so hungry from where I’ve been trying to keep my figure- please, don’t vote for me! I haven’t done it intentionally... that means I’m okay, right?! Chuu’s the real killer! He killed himself when he attacked me!”

I sighed. To my surprise, Yuno was still denying it- denial was the first step to grief, after all- so I felt my heart pull at me to help her finally understand.

“If you want...” I wiped my eye. “I’ll be willing to give a summary of what happened. After all, I--”

And then... it began. I gripped my heart, feeling it beat loudly like a drum.

No, please.

Not now. Not when I was so close. I had to stay conscious... I had to stop the feeling. Of all times... Of all fucking times...

Why did my Arrhythmia have to come back now?!

“Osen?” Hisonora turned to me. “Hey, girl, what’s wrong?”

“I...” I had to focus on breathing. “I can’t... breathe...”

“Stress finally got to her, huh?” Yoriko sighed. “It’s okay, Osen. Calm down.”

I felt my vision blur gently as Hiso rubbed my back, letting me breathe easier. Before I passed out, however, I did hear some very encouraging words.

_“I’ll take it from here.”_

**...**

“Listen up, everyone! I’m going to go over the details of this case once more so we’re all completely aware of whom the killer is, okay?”

“So, the victim is Chuu Nori. At the start of yesterday, we were given a motive that stated that if we didn’t commit murder by night-time today, we would be executed for the crime of not playing D-002’s game. The horror.”

“However, Chuu didn’t follow the rules. Chuu was a rebel, able to put together an idea of how he’d commit murder. His target? The blackened of this case- the very woman who would kill him in response.”

“I’m not entirely sure of what happened, but I can paint a picture. Chuu was busy chopping up something in the kitchen when the blackened entered, and he took his chance to strike. However, the blackened didn’t take too kindly to that- she was able to fight back against Chuu, using a weapon that we had commented on slightly- a Rolling pin. Their fight must’ve been long and arduous, with many things happening such as Chuu getting strangled with the rolling pin and said rolling pin being broken at some point- but it all ended with a knife to the heart.”

“The blackened came out of the fray uninjured, but not entirely- see, the floor was covered in broken dishes and cups, having been destroyed during Chuu’s tantrum before the fight. This tantrum, too, could have been a plan to make the victim more vulnerable; granted, it didn’t help in the long run.”

“Had it not been for Umon- who, too, has had a change of heart- we might have never gotten away with finding the truth.”

“My name is Yoriko Ito! And today, Yuno Tsuzuki, you have been taken down by the great minds of this trial room! It’s time to give up and face the cameras!”

**TRIAL END- PLACE YOUR VOTES.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the idea for the Deadly Life has been created.
> 
> What do I mean by this? Well, see, from this point forwards, all the deadly life stuff is going to be done from Yoriko's perspective. Osen will still be the main character of Daily Life events, but Deadly Life belongs more in Yoriko's hands. Hopefully you'll appreciate this little change of perspective.
> 
> Oh by the way- I'm incredibly sick right now, so there might not be an update for a few days while I recover. Hope you understand, and I hope to see you again!
> 
> \- Joseph


	11. CHAPTER 1- AN UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL AFTERMATH

**TRIAL- AFTERMATH**

I will admit, the rush of a trial would always stick with me. It was like I was actually involved in something important for the first time ever. Growing up in the projects wasn’t hard, but it was certainly boring.

This? This wasn’t boring.

It was soul crushing, but it wasn’t boring.

“Alright! It’s time for those votes!” D-002 rushed us along impatiently, sounding every bit excited as he usually did. “Please, vote for the person you wish to put to death on your watch!”

I looked at my watch, seeing a small interface appear. After I poked Yuno’s face, I waited for D-002 to receive all the votes we’d put in.

D-002 then pointed with his claw to a screen, showing that sixteen little pixel people had appeared on it. They were mini representations of all of us, doing what appeared to be some sort of walking animation, while the word ‘VOTES’ flashed ominously overhead.

After a few seconds of waiting, I watched as Yuno’s little sprite got fifteen red bars next to it, having the entire room vote for her... including herself.

Then, those bars turned green as a victory screen appeared, with Yuno’s sprite now waving its arms and cheering. Confetti fell from the ceiling, covering us all in the multi-coloured paper. A few balloons even fell on us. I watched one bounce off Umon’s unimpressed face.

“CONGRATULATIONS!” D-002 jumped up from his seat, showing genuinely impressed excitement at our ability to vote for the correct person. “That’s right, everyone! The killer was Yuno Tsuzuki, the Ultimate Swimsuit Model! Now, I’m going to go prepare her a very special execution... the rest of you may use this time however you wish.”

Before D-002 could leave, however, Kenjiro stepped forward. “Wait! We need to get Osen to the medical area. This could be a serious problem!”

“Yeah, come on, man.” Hisonora was at Osen’s side in moments, holding her still as she continued to pant and breathe in pain. “She could be dying...”

“No can do!” D-002 replied almost immediately. “My executions need to have everyone present in order to see what I’m capable of!”

“The girl won’t even have a chance to see it!” Motosuki yelled. “Come on, you glorified dumpster! We can’t just leave her like this!”

D-002 shrugs. “Deal with it yourself. This isn’t my problem.”

After skipping away, Kenjiro got out of his podium and rushed straight to Osen, taking her by the hand and leading her out of her own podium. We all followed, one by one, gathering around Yuno as Kenjiro kept Osen out of the way.

I was the first to speak. “Are you happy with yourself?”

Yuno stayed silent. So did everyone else, because nobody knew what to say. Like the others, I hadn’t expected this. I had truly expected to have to face my death head on- hell, that’s even why I gave up grabbing that ‘Miracle Cure’ from Osen. I had lung problems, and I was more than happy to let the circle of life take me quickly.

Kukiko blindly swung her hand, trying to slap Yuno without being able to see her. “You bitch! You stupid girl! How dare you do this to us!”

“Yeah, Jesus... What happened to being okay with dying?” Kane asked.

Yuno laughed nervously. “You think I WANTED to be here longer than I had to? I’m not okay with dying, far from it. So fuck me, I guess... I get what I deserved.”

“So you were attacked, but fought back with the intent to kill?” I asked her professionally. “Then you ARE a murderer. This wasn’t self-defence.”

“... ALRIGHT, YEAH. It was, wasn’t it?” Yuno seemed to suddenly snap to the idea. “The food was shit, the atmosphere’s shit, the entertainment’s shit... It’s like I was bored into doing it. Not to mention I’ve not been able to change out of this damn bikini for a week and a half! You really think I wouldn’t snap?!”

“Y-Yuno?” Cho muttered gently.

“So I said ENOUGH!” she continued, tears suddenly beginning to fall. “I’m sick of it here! I’m hungry, and I’m tired, and I just want people to stop looking at me and I’m... COLD. I’m so God Damn cold... There’s no change of fucking clothes in this place, and...”

Her voice rose in volume as she turned to Umon.

“And YOU! You piece of shit, you told me this wouldn’t happen if I just followed your orders!” She marched to him, punching him in the face. “I killed my manager to be here, you fuck! I trusted you!”

“Wait, what talk about?” Hirota asked confusedly. “Why Yuno hit Umon?”

“Because she could,” Motosuki snickered. “I wouldn’t mind cracking a few teeth of his, either...”

Umon smiled, simply re-aligning his jaw. “Actually... Yuno here... She’s a Shadow herself. Poor girl believed everything I told her...”

“So you admit you’re lying!” Yuno turned to the crowd. “You hear that, guys? Fuck him! Ditch him! I’m glad I’m gonna die, just so I don’t have to follow you anymore!”

Motosuki looked to the others. “There are... more than you two?”

“Not counting me...” Umon did a thinking face. “There are four others. Yuno is one of them, so that’s three more you don’t know the identity of.”

Yuno grabbed Umon by the frills of his outfit. “I should kill you where you stand...”

“Yuno, no.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “Listen... I know he did you dirty, but... you’ve done enough damage for today.”

... That’s right. My God, it had only been two hours, hadn’t it...? We could have lunch right now and it wouldn’t be weird. Well, not right now, right now, but...

Umon wiggled his way out of Yuno’s grasp. “Aren’t you a feisty little girl? Well, if it makes you feel any better, dear, your sacrifice will allow this game to continue. It’ll let the rest of us find an escape route... sure, you had to die for it to happen, but we all have a ways to go, don’t we?”

Yuno spat, hitting him in the eye. “Cunt.”

“WOAH!” He replied, overdramatically. “I lack both the warmth and depth to be one of those. There you go; a little joke to die on.”

He honked his nose twice, and then her boob once, earning him another slap. D-002 came back in to split the tension, which was lucky because I was about to get physical with Umon too.

“Alright, the execution is set! It’s time for Yuno to say goodbye.”

I watched with pain in my heart as Yuno turned to me, shaking my hand. “Congratulations, Yoriko. You’ve got a life ahead of you.”

Shouldering Umon out of the way to stand a little bit out of the way of the crowd, Yuno adjusted her bra straps.

“Well, I’m not going to lie and say it’s been nice knowing you all, but at least you were better to be around than the clown was.”

“I’m not a clown,” Umon lied to himself.

“And, hey...” Yuno suddenly got serious. “When you guys do escape... will you tell that cute mushroom boy back in Hope’s Peak what happened to me? We were roommates, and I’d hate to think he’s missing me.”

We all watched as she looked up at D-002.

“So, how’s this gonna start? You gonna wrap a chain around my neck and drag me to the end?” Yuno cracked her knuckles. “Because I’m sure as hell not going willingly.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that!” D-002 grabbed onto something from his right leg, removing it to reveal it was a tire iron. “I’ve got a very special punishment prepared for Yuno Tsuzuki, the Ultimate Swimsuit Model!”

Yuno sighed shakily. “It was never supposed to come to this... We were supposed to stop this game... We were supposed to prevent this from happening. I... I’m sorry, everyone. I hope you don’t see me on the other side.”

“Let’s begin... It’s PUNISHMENT TIIIIIIME!”

D-002 sung the final word as he smacked a button on the platform with the tire iron.

**MUSIC: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxSiuoUfw0>**

**(Full credit to Toby Fox/RichardEEB for the music used!)**

Yuno looked at us with sad eyes as a chain flew out from behind her, wrapping around her torso. We couldn’t do anything as she was dragged into a room far down a corridor, straight through a revolving door at the end with then flashed with a warning light- ON SET, DO NOT DISTURB.

We didn’t need to follow. The scene on the TV screen showed us everything we’d need to see. On it, Yuno was tied to a post by that very same chain, struggling against it with a sour expression.

Then, the camera panned to D-002, who was tossing a volleyball up and down. The title card played, spraying sand onto a surfboard while a camera shutter sounded out in the background.

**YUNO’S EXECUTION- PLAY BALL!**

It didn’t take long to show what D-002 had planned for her. He began pummelling her with volleyballs, hitting her everywhere ranging from the face to the breasts to the stomach. Every so often, she’d cough up blood from the force he was throwing them at.

Soon, Yuno’s perfect body was covered in bruises and bloody scars from the sandy damage it was taking. She was crying blood by the end of it- I don’t even know how many balls he threw.

However, she was still standing. She didn’t even look all that phased, at least by what her face showed of it. Sure, the bloody tears told us the whole story, but the wide smile was giving me the impression that she might’ve been enjoying it.

That’s when D-002 pointed to the sky with his claw, and a machine rose from the sand. I recognised it as some sort of modified tennis ball launcher, one that now held volleyballs instead. After a small pause to let the music I’m sure he was playing catch up, D-002 let the machine fly, walloping Yuno with enough force that it torn right through skin and left bloody marks all over her body.

That’s when I heard something crack. It was subtle, but when Yuno’s neck flopped downwards, I saw the spinal cord sticking out from her neck. D-002 had hit her hard enough to break it.

That didn’t seem to bother him, of course; the camera’s final screen was him holding a bronze trophy as a fake crowd cheered for him.

**EXECUTION EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY.**

In her final moments, I admit, I took my eyes off the screen. Why would I look? I don’t care if I’d murdered someone, I wasn’t USED to death, especially when the kill happened directly in front of me. I never grew up on the killing games... I was just aware it was happening, and was the whole reason I tried to keep things under control when I could.

I watched as everyone else left the room. The place had moved back up while I’d been watching the execution, so I didn’t really see the room moving. A shame- I really wanted to see it in action. I looked to the door, wondering if I should leave as well- after all, there was nothing else for me in this room.

Well, there was something. Without my knowledge, Yuno had slipped something into my palm when we’d shook hands; a hairpin, one that appeared to be marked with a set of numbers.

I smirked. Sure enough... Much like Chuu, Yuno had gone down swinging.

**...**

**EPILOGUE**

I was with Kenjiro at the end of the day, helping him keep Osen stable. “She gonna pull through?”

Osen had passed out, but Kenjiro didn’t seem worried, which was usually a good sign. “Yeah, she’s alright. Turns out she has a heart condition... It can go off randomly, so we’re never going to be on top of it, unfortunately.”

“That miracle pill didn’t cure it?” I questioned. Of course, I know he didn’t know why, but it was still better than leaving it to myself. “You’d think it’d go after a heart disease instead of an infection you were already curing.”

“Yes, well, perhaps the pill cured something that’d kill her in a week rather than a month.” Kenjiro felt her forehead with the back of his hand. “She’ll be up and at it tomorrow, just watch. This won’t keep her down.”

I sighed, flopping back into the chair. “Maybe you can have a look at this Bronchitis for me, too...”

Kenjiro looked at me with a strangely suspicious eye. I coughed, feeling a little unhappy with the look.

“Do you blame her?” He asked me. “For what she did?”

I paused, searching my soul for the answer. “You know... I don’t think I do.”

“How come?” Kenjiro replied as began changing Osen’s bandages. “She committed murder. She betrayed all of us to get out of here... didn’t she?”

“... Can I tell a story?” I didn’t wait for a reply. “Back when I was first starting Hope’s Peak, I met a second-year who I immediately took a liking to. His name was Winnego; we dated a while, but broke up over mutual terms. Hard for someone like me to want to date someone who’d rather be a girl, and he knew that.”

Kenjiro listened intently. Or maybe he wasn’t listening at all... who knew.

“I don’t blame anyone. Maybe that’s my problem. Tell me, do you believe in the Chaos Theory?” I sat forward, intensely watching Kenjiro’s actions. “The belief that everything happens simply because it can?”

That’s when Kenjiro looked at me. “Do you?”

I looked at Osen, resting in bed, and then back at Kenjiro, who dumped the bandages he’d changed out from Osen’s head. “Well, I suppose I should be off. Don’t want to keep you from doing... whatever it is you have to do.”

I turned to leave. Before I could, I heard Kenjiro go to speak, so I stopped.

“... You’re a detective, aren’t you Yoriko?” Kenjiro spoke like he wasn’t asking a question. “This whole ‘Hydrobiologist’ thing is just a cover.”

I smirked.

Looks like I got called out.

“Suppose I am,” I replied. “What’s it mean to you? After all... I’m not the only one telling white lies to keep my cover.”

That stopped Kenjiro from continuing. I’d figured it out pretty much instantly. Kenjiro never felt ‘right’, if that made sense- he was just too calm, even for a doctoring talent. The guy wasn’t emotional. When he laughed, he laughed without joy. When he got irritated, he got irritated without anger. He was cold- not like ice was cold, but like a wall was cold.

That made him dangerous. That made him unpredictable.

“I’ll ask again.” I grinned, not even bothering to turn around. “Do you believe in the Chaos Theory?”

And again, Kenjiro repeated his answer.

“Do you?”

**CHAPTER 1- UNDERGROUND PRISON OF DESPAIR- END**

**FOURTEEN STUDENTS REMAIN- THE KILLING GAME CONTINUES**


	12. INTERMISSION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

I rasped the door nervously, hoping to God she remembered me. She had to, right? After all, it had only been six months. Well, I'd be surprised if she HAD forgotten me, considering she was the one who called me over.

After a few seconds... she came to the door, and though she seemed to pause for a second, I soon realised that she was taking a deep breath in. Smiling, I waited for her to open it, which she did without much effort.

"Sun-Sing!" She seemed pleasant enough. Not much had changed, it seemed. "Come in, come in!"

"... Kaiyo." I felt myself almost fall into her arms, hugging her tightly. It had been too long.

"Hey, hey..." Kaiyo rubbed my back. "Come on, let's get you out of the cold."

And she did. She took me through into her kitchen, sitting me down at the table as she fixed something for lunch.

"Was the travel here difficult?" She asked. I shrugged at her when she looked over her shoulder at me. I hadn't really paid attention. I was busy having a panic attack over the phone call.

"Is there a reason you called me?" I asked her, still rather fragile. "Or is there no reason?"

"Can there not be a reason?" Kaiyo smiled as she kept working. "After all, it's not like I appreciated you dropping all contact with me after you had the kid..."

I flinched. She paused, realising what she'd said.

"... R-Right. I... I heard about that." Kaiyo drummed her fingers on the table. "Sorry, I..."

"No, don't be sorry." I smiled, trying to hide the trauma behind my eyes. "I think it's about time I started opening up about it. Not like we have much else to talk about... I just moved back to my home town anyway, back with my parents. I see you've got yourself a new place, too..."

"Hey, I wasn't about to go back to Hope's Peak." Kaiyo served me a rather full sandwich. "Here, eat. I can tell you haven't been."

"Did you hear they're opening a new place?" I shook my head, taking a bite into the sandwich, feeling taste finally erupt onto my taste buds. "Hope's Peak... Omega, was it?"

"Hope's Peak Neo," she corrected me. "A place where the greatest 'Ultimate' students will get the best education they could ever hope for."

"Still got a thing against that word, huh?" I chuckled coldly.

Kaiyo seemed to hear the coldness of the laugh and frowned. "Sun-Sing, I... I'm sorry about what happened. I really hope me being here isn't bringing up any old memories."

"This is YOUR house," I replied. "And no, you're not. I'm just... I'm glad that I'm back in the presence of someone who cares, you know? Mom and Dad didn't give me much reprieve, blaming me for his death... a-and when you called and I answered I just..."

"I know," She replied calmly. "You were busy mourning. I don't care what you said... I know you were going through something, and I called at the wrong time."

"I do still feel bad."

"Well, don't. It's not your fault, and you know that."

Oh, how I wish that was true... I finished the sandwich, feeling my body cry out for more, but I restricted myself because I feared I would be too needy. Kaiyo was the sort of woman who'd give you everything, and then have nothing left for herself. I didn't want that. Kaiyo had fought hard to get over the despair she'd felt. Kaiyo was... difficult, as a person.

After all... the killing game had changed her.

It had changed all of us. All of the survivors. Last I heard, Mutsuko was having to get serious therapy, though I'm not entirely sure for what.

"Have you kept up with the others?" I asked Kaiyo.

"Not really... I kind of stopped talking with Shui after he began to get weird." I watched as she made another sandwich. "Ini moved on to working in an orphanage. She still texts me daily, and comes over for tea sometimes. Taihen's the same as ever... Granted, he's not really as confident as he used to be, but he's definitely still up there. Mutsuko... Last I heard he'd willingly checked himself into an insane asylum, and... S-Shui's just gone. His sanity disappeared."

I growled glumly. "And he's still working with them?"

"The Future Foundation? No, they disbanded a while ago," Kaiyo mentioned. "I've just been trying to find the killing games with him myself. Shui, Kirena, Phantom and I are trying our best, but there's only so much we can do. Not to mention the things Shui's apparently been doing on the side-lines, and... God, it's just all going downhill for him."

"I miss him, sometimes," I said with honesty. "His cold demeanour mismatched his pride. He tried too hard, I think."

"Well, he's not trying anymore." Then, she paused, and spoke again. "Yes, I know, but... I can't afford to tell him that."

I looked to her, but Kaiyo didn't respond. She simply sat across from me, having her fill.

That's... pretty much all we talked about. To my surprise, Kaiyo let me stay in the guest room, but after a cup of tea and a biscuit in the morning she saw me on my way. She said don't hesitate to call, but...

I... Never did.

I was just... finished. With her. With the others.

I wanted to fade away, and...

I guess I got my wish.


	13. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 6

**DAY 6**

“Osen.”

“Osen, hey...”

“Osen!”

My eyes pulled themselves open. I was back in my room, the darkness hanging over me like a cloud. However, I wasn’t alone in my room; someone else was there with me.

Someone familiar.

“C-Chuu?!” I sat up immediately as he sat on my bed. “W-What... How...?”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Chuu put a hand on mine. “You were having a nightmare... it’s alright now. Come on, get up... everyone’s waiting for us in the canteen...”

I swallowed.

“... T-This... This is a dream, isn’t it?” I glowered, looking down at my hand.

“What? What makes you think--”

“The real Chuu wasn’t as friendly.”

Chuu flinched, and then laughed. “Yeah... I guess he wasn’t, was he.”

We sat in silence for a bit. Even though he wasn’t really there, I did feel safer now I could see him again. Issue is, when I woke up, I was afraid I’d forget him. I was afraid this ‘dream’ wouldn’t carry over, and I would be pushed back into the world of the living without him once more.

Of course... that’s when he spoke again.

“You know...” Chuu patted my shoulder. “There are a lot of good people with you. You don’t need to rely on me being around.”

I wiped the tear from my eye. “I-I... I don’t wanna leave you, Chuu...”

“You aren’t saying goodbye,” He mentioned. “You’re simply saying farewell for now. I’m sure I’ll still be here when you go back to sleep, so please, don’t spend your time wallowing in my presence.”

I blinked. Standing up, I looked to the door of my room, a bright glow underneath it. “T-Thank you, Chuu. For everything.”

“And thank you, Osen.” Chuu remained seated. “For keeping me from doing things I’d regret.”

With one last smile, I put my hand on the door.

**...**

**CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW’S INFLUENCE BECKONS**

When I woke up for real, I was in the medical office. The room was practically silent, apart from the clink and clank of medical bottles as Kenjiro put them away. He hadn’t noticed I was awake yet.

So I made sure he knew. “K-Ken--”

He looked to me, revealing that... he had an eye patch on. It wasn’t makeshift either- it was the kind you’d see pirates wearing. However, he didn’t seem all that confused.

Just relieved.

“Osen!” Kenjiro got up, immediately walking over and helping me sit up. “Easy now... how are you feeling?”

“Empty,” I replied honestly. “I... What happened while I was asleep?”

“Asleep is putting it lightly.” Kenjiro sighed. “Osen, why didn’t you tell me you had a heart condition?! I would’ve been able to assign you medication immediately! It’s all here, I...”

When he saw that I was crying, he stopped, handing me a bottle of water from the countertop which I drank from graciously.

“The door at the far back of the facility opened.” Kenjiro nervously played with his buttons. “It... It wasn’t an escape route. There’s just... more facility behind it.”

I tutted. Sure enough, D-002 had been toying with us.

“It just doesn’t make sense!” He suddenly yelled, slamming his fist on the counter. “Why us?! Why do WE have to suffer?! Why is this damn kidnapper torturing us, specifically?!”

I held my hand over my bandages as a small headache emerged. “Ken, stop.”

Kenjiro flicked his anger back to concern. “R-Right. There’s no need to lose my cool over this...”

I got up then, shakily standing. I felt weak; Well, I always did after my attacks.

“I wanna see,” I told him. “I wanna see what’s behind the door. Will you take me there?”

Kenjiro muttered to himself, but returned my question with a smile and a nod. We walked together, out up towards the door room, and I was shown that the door had in fact opened. The ‘daylight’ we’d been tricked by was no more than aesthetic lighting, little glass orbs that lit the inside of the door crack. The room beyond was actually pretty surprising; it was some sort of grand hall, the kind you’d see in a mansion or a school.

“What is this place?” I asked, my voice bouncing off the walls.

“Not sure,” Kenjiro replied. “All I know is that the staircases are locked off. We only have access to the first floor of this area, which is six rooms.”

I looked at him, confused. “Have the others seen this place, too?”

“Most of them.” Kenjiro put it bluntly. “I’m not sure who hasn’t, so.”

I blinked. “O-Okay.”

Kenjiro then tilted his head at me. “Something wrong?”

“Are you feeling okay?” I replied earnestly. “You don’t sound like yourself.”

“I’m fine,” He clearly lied. “Yuno’s execution must’ve gotten to me more than I thought. Just... reminds me of what I could’ve done, you know?”

I tried to smile at him, but it came out more of an accepting glance. We were all feeling that way. After all, had I just stayed with Chuu, I’m sure we could’ve talked things out, and he wouldn’t have tried to attack Yuno. I’m sure if I’d stayed with Yuno, too, we would’ve never gone to the kitchen together. It was a lot of ‘what if’ at the end of the day... Sure, there’s plenty we could’ve done, but now wasn’t the time to think of it that way.

Kenjiro pointed behind me. “There are three rooms that way, and then three rooms behind me.” He motioned backwards with his thumb.

“I’ll go my way first then.” I walked down the hallway, looking at the first door in the list. It had a picture of what appeared to be skull-and-crossbones on it, which didn’t fill me with confidence, but Kenjiro opened the door for me and I saw that inside was the type of room I wasn’t expecting.

The entire room was decorated like a pirate ship. Chests with fake gold and cannonballs on them, the constant sound of the waves, and the floor was even decked out to move slightly underfoot like waves.

“It’s...” Tacky? That’s the word I wanted to use, but decided against it. “Why is this here? It doesn’t seem necessary to... anything.”

Kenjiro walked in too. “It’s where I got this eye patch, actually. But you’re right- this room appears to just be here. Come- let’s see the other places.”

I did as I was told, walking with him out to the next door. On this door was a picture of a sword, and even though I heard Kenjiro grumble behind me I pushed it open.

Inside was around fifteen sets of armour, all ranging from various time periods and styles of combat. Samurai, Shinobi, Viking, Turk, even Army Gear- Each armour piece complimented with their own sword.

“Yeah...” Kenjiro rubbed the back of my head as my fear rose. “We can keep this room barricaded if you really need us to.”

“Please do,” I asked, leaving immediately. “I didn’t think D-002 would be so culturally associated...”

It was Kenjiro’s turn to give me a confused look. “Care to translate that into stupid people language?”

“What I mean is, I didn’t expect D-002 to want to have these sorts of rooms.” I motioned with my hand, though I’m sure he knew what I meant. “I mean, those armour pieces are from some of the most brutal points in history... The worst things in life were performed in those suits of armour.”

War. Bloodshed. Pillaging. There was so much history in that room; so much destructive, crimson-soaked history.

I think it was Hisonora who put it best.

“Well, the tin can’s an internet freak.” He came out of nowhere- something incredible for a man of his size. “Were you around when he told us that he scowered the internet to make a perfect killing game? He must’ve seen a lot more than just the killing games of the past- he must’ve gone through the entire history of man, too.”

Kenjiro bit his lip. “That means he saw the worst things humanity have ever done, and... got justified in his actions.”

“I-Is that why we’re here?” I asked gently. “He saw that we were murderers, and linked to the people from his ‘brother’s killing game, and got the idea to use us in place of other participants.”

“Because to him...” Hisonora caught on quickly. “We’re the problem with life. We’re murderers, and... That’s the worst thing in this world, to him.”

Kenjiro growled audibly. “You’d think he’d go for actually BAD people.”

I took that opportunity to check the last door. It had a stage on it, and opening the door showed that there was a stage behind it, too. It was strange; this room was the only room that actually seemed to have a connection to one of our talents, and that was Sun-Sing.

Sun-Sing...

Hisonora patted my shoulder. “Hey, girl. You good now?”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” I held his hand as it stayed on my shoulder. “Just a little tired, is all.”

Hisonora let me pass as I walked back down the corridor and to the other side. On this side was a room with a butterfly sign on it, a room with a water sign- or perhaps the zodiac symbol Aquarius- and a room with a computer sign on it. I choose the latter first, opening the room to see it was a computer lab. I excitedly headed to the closest one, but Kenjiro shut down my excitement in one go.

“They haven’t got internet,” Kenjiro explained. “All they’ve got is Minesweeper.”

“O-Oh.” I stood up, understandably defeated. “Why Minesweeper...?”

“Don’t you diss Minesweeper!” Hisonora joked. “That game’s a timeless classic!”

“Yeah, it should’ve stayed that way.” Kenjiro snickered.

I walked to the next room in line, the one with the water symbol on it. Inside was a pathetic excuse of a pool, probably around five meters by five meters wide, with not a changing room in sight. I’d heard of these- they were referred to as ‘tide pools’; a pool that was created from natural means. Kenjiro didn’t say anything. Hisonora was a gentleman about it, stepping aside to let me leave the room and head to the butterfly room.

To my surprise, it was actually a butterfly room. It was a room that had butterflies in it, secured behind that weird screen door that you had to push through. They were beautifully coloured, each in different colours of the rainbow, large and small and curious and shy. One even landed on my finger for a few seconds.

“This is...” Of course, it did raise questions. “How did they get them here...?”

“I’m not sure,” Hiso exclaimed as he got through the door with difficulty. “But from what I can see, they won’t go hungry or thirsty or whatnot. As long as we keep the shutter closed, of course.”

I smiled as I watched the darting wings of the butterflies flying around. I’d always found them beautiful. Chuu and I would go down to our local butterfly farm every week to just watch them fly around.

Of course, my smile faded remembering his name.

“Hey, we’re all meeting in the canteen,” Hisonora said suddenly. “That’s what I came to tell you, but I got lost in exploration with you. Come on!”

Hisonora led us to the canteen, which was luckily just back through the door. Everyone was there, except Umon which honestly made me more than happy to sit with the others. Of course, I got the usual list of questions thrown at me- ‘how are you’, ‘what happened’, ‘are you okay’, that kind of list- but it was alright. It was nice to have people concerned over me, to be honest.

“Alright...” Sun-Sing wrung her hands together. “Is that everyone?”

Hisonora grinned. “Everyone you wanted, Double S.”

She smiled. “Alright then... let’s get to work. Everyone, please listen. From this point onwards... we need to be as honest with each other as we can. No more hiding anything, okay? So please... if you have anything you want to say... say it now.”

The silence that responded was deafening. Just as I’d expected, nobody trusted each other still. Probably even less trust was being passed around now that Yuno had killed Chuu, and gotten killed in response. Nobody wanted to admit anything.

So, I bit the bullet for them.

“I have Arrhythmia.” I spoke up, seeing Sun-Sing’s face change into a smile. “It’s... a heart condition. It just makes it so sometimes I have problem breathing, and my heart will beat irregularly. It’s not fatal.”

Yoriko tutted. “If that’s where we’re starting... I’ve got Bronchitis. Like Osen, I have a problem breathing, just... constantly.” He took a deep breath to emphasise his point.

“If disease be talk, I no feel warm.” Hirota raised her hand. “Fell through ice one time! Not feel warm since.”

After that point was rose, though, nobody else made an attempt to speak. It was that awkward silence that generated a new topic for us to discuss.

“Hey, how about we talk about who we’re connected to?” Sun-Sing sat down finally. “That might help us understand each other better, right?”

“Don’t know how that’s correct, but...” Kane cleared his throat. “Again, I can’t read, so I don’t know.”

“And I am blind.” Kukiko, who was sat near me, cleared the air. “I could not read my connection if I wanted to.”

“I feel like I’ve already said, but I’ll say it again- my connection is Akari Tanaka.” Hisonora waved his hand with the watch on it. “She was my medical dealer for when my mother needed her meds.”

Soon after, all of us were beginning to spill who we were connected to. Everyone who I already known the connection to ended up going first, so I could skip to the people I didn’t know about; so that was Kenjiro, Masa, Sun-Sing and then me.

Then came Yoriko, who went directly after Hirota. “I dated a guy called Winnego back in Hope’s Peak. Well, I suppose he’s probably a girl now, because that’s what he wanted to be. That’s why we broke up.”

It seemed the air was getting less tense now, as more and more people opened up. Motosuki grinned, flashing his gold tooth at us all. “I’m connected to a girl called Lanzo Satan. She’s one of the best boxers in all of Japan... I’ve watched all of her fights, even the shit one against that asshole from America.”

“So... you’re a superfan?” Kukiko giggled.

“Hey, don’t you start!” Motosuki took her by the wrist. “Here, I can read yours for you... Says here you’re connected to a man called Wananta Edonis...?”

Kukiko visibly jumped. “W-What?!”

“Wait, says here he’s...” Motosuki let go of her wrist then. “Oh... I...”

“Wananta...” Kukiko produced tears suddenly. “He’s... He’s my brother. We were separated at birth. I only found out he existed about three years ago, and... Now I learn he was connected to a killing game?”

Akako was shaking as I looked at her. She instantly saw my look and snapped back at me. “What are you looking at?! I’m not hiding anything!”

“I... didn’t say you were...” I looked away.

Akako, however, didn’t stop. “Ugh, fine... because you’re all being so happy to talk about your connections, I might as well say that... I... did some modelling. For my connection.”

“Who is your connection, though?” I asked.

“I-I was getting to that!” She yelled back. “He... He um... he’s called... T-Taihen...”

I have no idea who that was, but considering she didn’t look happy about it I assumed she wasn’t the fondest of him. Sun-Sing also had an angry expression, so I guess he really wasn’t a good guy.

What an odd discussion we found ourselves in, huh?

Cho was the one who ended up taking the last word, however, and though she was trying her hardest you could tell what she had hurt her a lot. “I, um... My connection is a girl called Hibachi.”

Sun-Sing’s eyes lit up. “Hibachi! She...”

“I’m the reason she got burnt.” Cho paused. Of course, the silence caused her to keep going. “S-See, my building had a serial killer in it that Mom told me never to talk to. One night, I came home from school to find... them... d-dead...”

Masa gulped. “Cho, you don’t need to...”

“So I attacked him back.” Cho kept going on. “I... I stabbed him in the leg, and I ran away, and he chased me into the boiler room and... He cornered me. All I could do was... was...”

Masa stood up again. “Cho, that’s enough.”

Cho did finally stop, but at this point the damage was done. I could understand what she was about to tell us all... Cho had been responsible for killing a man who was had killed her parents. But... what was that thing she said about her being responsible for burning up the girl Hibachi?

I never got to hear that part. After all, everyone kinda gave up past that point, not wanting to tell anyone anything else. It was less a want to say anything, actually- it was more a case that nobody really thought they needed to hear any more.

Issue is, that’s exactly what Sun-Sing didn’t want. I could tell she was upset, but more about the fact that nobody wanted to trust each other.

And then... HE broke the trust further.

“Sup, Saddos.” Umon laughed as we all turned to him. “Sounds like we’ve all got something to hide, huh?”

“Oh, will you just fuck off?” Motosuki had a habit of voicing what I felt. “If you’re here to spit more shit about being insane, you can just walk your ass back out of here.”

Umon laughed again. “Awww, and here I thought you’d want to know the other Shadows...”

Well, that certainly turned us around. I sat up, raising my single eyebrow and giving him the chance to continue.

“Knew that would be the nail in the coffin... So as we know, there are five Shadows.” He puts his hand on his chest. “I am one of them. Yuno was another. That leaves three to find, correct?”

“Where are you going with this?” Kukiko asked.

“Well, I’m just wondering if you want to know who the other Shadows are?” Umon pulled his eyelid downwards. “You’ll need to see to believe it, after all.”

To my surprise, Akako got up. “You know what? NO! I don’t care. If I have to listen to you tell me, then I’m gonna lose my mind.”

“She’s right,” Kenjiro agreed. “How do we know that you won’t just lie?”

Umon laughed evilly. “Oh, you would know if I was, wouldn’t you, Kenny-Kenjiro?”

Kenjiro’s eye twitches. Everyone immediately looked at him as Umon continued with a vicious lick of anger.

“After all... You’re a Shadow, too.”

I gulped. “K-Ken?”

Akako yelled at Umon again. “Oh please! There’s no way someone as nice as Kenjiro is your puppet! I mean... Kenjiro’s nice, and sweet, and helpful and cute and adorable and you’re just a slimy toad of a man!”

Hisonora scoffed. “Nice to know we agree... heh...”

Umon rolled his eyes, standing directly in front of Akako. “Well, if I’m some slimy toad, does that make you a rapist’s toy? After all, you killed the man who took your virginity.”

Akako’s eyes widened and she went down like a computer booting offline. “I-I... How do you know that?”

“I’ve got acute detail on all of you, dear.” Umon creepily stroked down Akako’s cheek, causing her to shiver. “I know a lot more than just your name and age...”

Akako pulled away, but Akako’s arm was suddenly grabbed and tossed backwards, into the wall where Umon pinned her by her breasts to the wall.

“I know you like it rough, too...” Umon laughed creepily. “Such a little tease... constantly trying to get attention without seeming like you enjoy it...”

“Let go of me!” Akako pushed at his face. “L-Let go!”

“Oh, come now...” Umon pushed his forehead against hers, forcing him to look into her eyes. “Don’t you want to have fun?”

And then, a loud THWACK was heard. I had been about to go into the fray, too, but Kenjiro had beat me to it, having kicked Umon right between the legs.

“Too far.” Kenjiro laid another kick in between Umon’s legs before throwing him to the floor as he curled up in agony. “Way too far.”

Hisonora got up, putting his hand against Umon’s neck to hold him down. “Oh, you are SO lucky I can’t tie you up. I’d have you in cuffs.”

Akako was scared stiff. Kenjiro turned to her, emotion having faded from his voice. “Hey, Akako... come on, it’s alright. He can’t hurt you now.”

Akako’s face erupted in blush and tackled into Kenjiro, crying into his chest. That seemed to give Sun-Sing the want to kick Umon in the stomach as she planted her foot nice and deep into him.

“Piece of shit! Even Taihen didn’t go that far!” Sun-Sing kicked Umon in the face. “Asshole. DICK!”

“Hey, alright.” Hisonora puts a hand on Sun-Sing’s Shoulder. “We’ll barricade him in his room. Let’s make sure he doesn’t try this again, shall we?”

I nodded, getting up. “I’ll help...”

“You really don’t need to do that.” Sun-Sing grabbed Umon by his hair. “We’ll be more than enough.”

Sun-Sing and Hisonora left. Cho looked at Masa, who looked back at her with sad eyes. “Don’t worry, Cho... Umon’s gonna be put away, okay?”

“O-Okay...” Cho touched her fingers together. “But... is Akako gonna be okay? Umon was pretty scary...”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Masa ruffled her hair.

“More than fine,” Motosuki laughed, pointing at her and Kenjiro. To my surprise, Akako was currently kissing Kenjiro passionately, something she stopped doing when she saw us all looking at her.

“W-What?! It’s... just a reward for saving me, is all.” Akako pouted, crossed her arms and looking away, that all too familiar blush on her face.

“Kissing isn’t usually a reward...” Kane hummed.

“Be kind.” Kukiko thumped his arm.

With that, a sudden announcement played.

“SALUTATIONS, hapless students! It’s now night time! The Game Room and the gym have been locked tight, as well as the recreational rooms! Have a good night, students!”

“Wow, night time already,” Motosuki chuckled. “Guess it’s time for bed! What are you guys gonna do?”

Akako huffed. “I’m sleeping too.”

Kenjiro nodded. “Me too. No point staying awake for no reason.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Then it’s settled!” Kane stood up too. “We should all sleep! Refresh ourselves for the morning, you know?”

“Mmm...” Cho crosses her arms. “I don’t wanna.”

“Now, now...” Masa put her hands on either side of Cho. “It’ll be better for all of us.”

And with that, conversation ended, and we all headed back to our rooms. I sat on the bed of my room, feeling the weight of the past few days weighing on me.

However... It didn’t stop me from sleeping.

**DAY END**


	14. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 7(A)

**DAY 7(A)**

Waking up that day was easier than I’d hoped. For some reason, I felt refreshed- really, really refreshed, like I’d had the best sleep ever. I shouldn’t have. That wasn’t how it worked.

Of course, I wasn’t about to question it.

Stepping out into the hallway, I found myself in the middle of a weird sight. Cho was busy drawing on the walls using a purple pen, scribbling weird patterns across the stone to add colour to the drab exterior. Meanwhile, Masa watched with a proud smile, clearly okay with what was going on.

“Hey, guys.” I made my introductions. “What’s going on?”

“Masa’s letting me draw on the walls!” Cho replied obviously.

“We found colouring stuff in the new area, so I thought I’d let her do whatever with them,” Masa added. “After all, this isn’t our home, and the person who’s trapped us here isn’t a good man. So I’m letting her do whatever she wishes.”

“Well, as long as you’re having fun!” I patted Cho’s shoulder and walked past, high-fiving Masa and walking down the hallway to the canteen. Walking inside, more people were waiting- Yoriko was at the far back, scribbling in a notepad, while Kenjiro and Motosuki laughed in up at the other end. Kukiko was also there, sitting and waiting for someone.

“Hey all!”

“Osen!” Yoriko waved at me. “Come, sit. I’ve got something to share.”

I did as I was told, heading over and sitting right across from him. Before he could share his information, I did feel the need to question something right off the bat.

“They seem... happy.” I looked to Kenjiro and Motosuki. “Any reason?”

“Ah, not really,” Yoriko replied. “They were here before I was, and they were only talking then. Guess they must’ve found things they had in common.”

I felt my smile come back as Yoriko placed his notepad down, showing that he’d written a ton of information. His handwriting was messy, but his words were obvious, and I could correctly discern where his sentences started and ended.

Seems Yoriko had been doing this from the start.

“Alright, let’s see here.” Yoriko pointed at the first part. “I’ve been trying to identify who the person doing this could be. The kidnapper clearly runs this joint, so they must have something to do with us.”

“But how do you know that?” I asked. “After all, D-002 learnt everything from the internet. Why would the kidnapper feel the need to stick around when D-002 can clearly run the killing game without them...?”

Yoriko shrugged. “My guess is that the kidnapper is here just to keep things in check. D-002 doesn’t seem invincible so he’s probably still around to put him back together if things go south.”

“But how would the kidnapper know what’s going on in here?” I felt the need to question everything. “There are no security cameras around, so...”

“That’s the issue.” Yoriko drummed the table with his pen. “If there are no security cameras, that means the kidnapper is with us, in this facility. He’s probably role-playing as a student right now, pretending to be one of us...”

“T-That’s...” I looked to the others, who didn’t seem to be paying attention to our conversation. “But who is it...?”

“I don’t know.” Yoriko tutted. “But it’s one of us, I’m sure of it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to know... but I don’t want to risk gathering information in case they see me trying to look for them.”

“Do you at least have any suspicions?” I asked, keeping focused on trying to quiet my voice down.

“Well, I have a few... but I know for sure it can’t be Kenjiro or Umon.” He eyed Kenjiro as Motosuki continued to talk. “Despite what Umon does, he’s still actively working against the kidnapper, and his little Shadow gang are doing the same. So anyone who’s a Shadow can’t be the kidnapper.”

“That still leaves ten people,” I found myself repeating from the trial.

“Nine, if you count the dead... If Chuu was the mastermind, I have a feeling the door at the back would’ve never opened.” Yoriko coughed twice. “Well, that’s more of a hunch than a prediction.”

I hummed sadly. “So we have no idea of predicting it... B-But, does that mean if we find them out, could we put a stop to the game?”

Yoriko eyed me suspiciously.

“And how do you plan to stop them, exactly?”

... True. I hadn’t thought of that. But I’m sure there was another way, right?

When Hisonora came through the door, placing some coffee in front of Kukiko and guiding her hand to it, the conversation between Yoriko and I ended; but not before one last sentence in.

“Meet my number one prediction.”

Hisonora came and sat with us, just to make matters worse. “Hey, guys! Watch’a talking about?”

“Eh, not much.” Yoriko’s voice changed from serious to casual, giving me tonal whiplash. “Just discussing what we’re planning for today, you know?”

“Ah! Are you two going to hang out?” Hisonora sipped from his cup. “You two have been awfully friendly, haven’t you?”

“We’ve hung out one time,” I replied sheepishly.

“It’s not just that!” Hisonora continued. “Like, in the trial, too! You two bounced off each other so well, like light off mirrors! Kinda makes me jealous.”

Though he laughed, neither of us joined in with him. He was making a joke to the trial, of all things- a place where not one, but two people died, one of which happened in front of him. Sure, maybe that was his way of dealing with trauma, but it wasn’t exactly nice.

Hisonora stopped laughing, looking between the pair of us. “Too soon. Got it.”

I sighed. “It’s fine... guess we all got to deal with it some way, huh.”

Yoriko also sighed, but the sigh got caught in his throat and he went into a coughing spree. Hisonora offered Yoriko his cup, which he drank from as quickly as possible.

“Ah, you can keep that now.” Hisonora patted Yoriko’s shoulder as he gasped for air. “Don’t wanna catch the lung thing if possible.”

“Bronchitis is contagious?” I asked him, confused.

“Yeah, in some cases!” Hisonora motioned with his hand. “You can get it from just being around another person with it.”

“Nah, i-it’s Chronic...” Yoriko replied, still wheezing slightly. “Not contagious, just lasts much longer.”

“Ah, in that case, hand the cup back!” Hisonora laughed at his own joke. “Nah, it’s fine! I think I made it too strong for my own liking, anyway.”

Yoriko smiled, wiping a tear from his eye and breathing heavily. “Thanks, Hiso.”

“No problem, dude!” Hisonora got up again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go find Sun-Sing. She said she wanted to see me about something.”

I watched as he left. “... I can see what you mean.”

“Too friendly,” He responded. “Like he’s trying too hard to be a good person.”

“Maybe that’s just his personality?” I looked back to Yoriko, who was swirling the cup. “I mean, I know a few people like that.”

“Eh, one thing’s for sure...” Yoriko sipped the cup for dramatic flair. “He makes a damn good coffee.”

After that ordeal, I decided to leave Yoriko alone for now. I headed back out into the ‘door room’, which really wasn’t a ‘door room’ anymore but I couldn’t think of a better name, and found Kane in the hallway, talking to Hirota. I didn’t really mean to eavesdrop, but I did find myself doing it.

And what I heard sent a shiver down my spine.

“We have to get rid of him, Hirota.” Kane said in a hushed tone. “The longer he’s here, the more dangerous he’s going to become. One of us needs to bite the bullet to protect everyone else.”

“But... No understand.” Hirota responded. “Why hurt Umon? Make Trial! Make sad again. No want others sad, right?”

“I get that...” Kane put his hand on her shoulder. “But Umon’s just going to get worse and worse if we don’t put a stop to him now. What if he snaps, and--”

“I doubt he will,” I said aloud, causing Kane to jump and Hirota to look at me fearfully. “After all, if he knows what’s good for him he’ll stay locked up.”

Kane gulped. “S-Sorry.”

Hirota also apologised, despite not being in the wrong. “Yes. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I told them. “Just... don’t anything stupid.”

The very second those words came out of my mouth, however, the all too familiar sound of a chiming bell rung out.

“SALUTATIONS, Hapless students! It’s time for all of you to meet in the Game Room, as I have a VERY special reward!”

I felt my skin crawl. “What now?”

Of course, curiosity got to me before the fear, so I walked my way into the Game Room once more where the lights had been turned off apart from the single spotlight on the big wheel. However, something was off with it- it was a different colour, the wooden hue it once had now a bronze colour.

One by one, the other students made their way into the Game Room. Well, not everyone, of course... the dead weren’t here. Neither was Umon.

I knew which one I would’ve rather been here.

“LAAAADIEEEEES AAAAAND GENTLEMEEEEEEN!” And like nothing had ever changed, in came the over-the-top announcer’s voice. “Put your hands together for your host! The ONE, The ONLY... D-002!”

Out of the floor of the elevated platform rose D-002 as the lights around us turned on. Sure enough, much like the wheel, the colours around us had changed- they’d gone from the yellowy-brown colours to a deep blue, the flashing lights coating us in orange light. The false audience applauded D-002’s appearance while the rest of us just stood and watched him with a disrespectful aura about us.

“Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind!” D-002 bowed to no one in particular. “Yes, it is I! D-002! And I’m back today to grant you students a very special treat!”

Motosuki groaned. “Oh my God, get on with it.”

“Oh, do I hear a participant?!” D-002 laughed, pointing to Motosuki. “You, sir, come on up here!”

I looked at Motosuki, who’d been standing nearby, as a spotlight hit him with the audience applauding around him. Of course, he instantly shrugged, heading up to the same area that D-002 was occupying.

D-002 was also clapping, not as good as course but was definitely trying his best. “Good to see you, Motosuki! Tell me, what exactly are you planning to win here tonight?”

Motosuki looked at the wheel. He hummed to himself as he looked at each option, D-002 waiting patiently for his reply.

“Free car sounds nice,” He joked after about ten seconds of silence. The ‘audience’ certainly enjoyed the joke too, as they roared with laughter.

D-002 laughed as well. “Ah, Motosuki! Always a jokester! Come now- Let’s SPIN! THE! WHEEL!”

The audience cheered as D-002 stepped backwards, letting Motosuki take the centre spotlight. After a couple of confused seconds, Motosuki grabbed the wheel and gave it a big old spin, the clattering of the wheel turning accompanied by the audience cheering some more.

It was actually after that point that I realised that D-002 hadn’t actually repeated one of his audience lines. All the cheers were unique- not a single one had repeated. I don’t think I even heard familiar tones in the cheers; each time the audience made noise, it was new.

I felt Yoriko’s presence standing next to me as we watched the oddly soothing coloured wheel spin rapidly. Motosuki was now standing where D-002 was, watching each part of the wheel as it flew by the marker with gradually decreasing speed.

TICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKtickticktick tick tick tick tick, tick, tick, tick... tick... tick... tick...

Tick...

And like that, the wheel stopped, and the audience applauded. Of all the things we could’ve gotten- Upgraded Rooms, Gourmet Meal, Party Supplies, even Freedom was on there- Motosuki had managed to land the wheel on one simply marked ‘Cool Hat’.

D-002 reacted pretty much the same as Motosuki. “Oh! Damn, so close!”

Motosuki grumbled. “This better be the coolest hat I’ve ever seen.”

Sure enough, out of the ceiling dropped a hat that landed directly onto Motosuki’s head. He took it off to look at it, his face showing signs that he did in fact like it.

“Okay, you know what?” Motosuki smirked. “Yeah, this hat’s pretty cool.”

Motosuki trotted down the staircase, landing in front of us with outstretched arms, putting the hat back on. Akako instantly stormed over to him, her demeanour of that kind of ‘angry schoolgirl’ that didn’t know how to react.

“You idiot!” She yelled at him. “Did you see some of the other stuff?! You could’ve aimed for them!”

“I mean, you gotta admit...” Motosuki tilted the hat to show it off more. “It’s a pretty sweet hat.”

Akako paused, crossed his arms and huffing.

“... Y-Yeah, I guess it is... Stupid...”

The rest of the room mellowed out as D-002 wiped the wheel off with a weird looking rag. “Alright everyone! That’s all I’ve got for you today! I hope to see you here again soon!”

“You won’t,” Kane replied, leaving us all behind.

Much like how they entered, the students all began to leave, leaving only me behind as I looked up at D-002 as he opened the wheel like a door and went behind it. I blinked.

“There’s... something behind the wheel.” I said it aloud, but I didn’t really mean to. I went up the stairs, attempting to tug on it like D-002 did, but the wheel was incredibly heavy and, not to mention, a wheel, so it kept slipping downwards as I tried to pull on it. Looks like D-002 had locked it behind him.

Had it even been unlocked in the first place?

“... Osen?”

I turned around suddenly, seeing that Sun-Sing had come back. I went down to her, trying to look as professional as possible about the suspiciousness I probably excreted.

“H-hey, Sun-Sing.” I crossed my arms. “Why did you come back?”

“I saw you stay behind. Guess I can see why.” Sun-Sing smiled, her sadness still obvious in her eyes. “It’s okay... I know you’re only looking for a way out. I know you aren’t the mastermind.”

Sun-Sing suddenly hugged me into her, causing me to blush intensely because my face when right in between her breasts.

“Does it hurt, Osen?” She ran her hand along my head. “To lose someone so close to you?”

“S-Sun-Sing...?”

“I know what it feels like...” Sun-Sing then rest her head on mine. “To lose someone so close to you. If you need someone to talk to about it... I’m always going to be here, okay?”

I swallowed as my eye began to water. “I... I...”

And then, I hugged into her, letting the tears fall.

“I can’t believe he’s gone.” I gripped her dress, feeling it ball in my hands. “H-He’s gone, and I never... I never got the chance to say goodbye. I never got the chance to ever tell him... how much he meant to me, and how he stopped the bad times from seeming so bad.”

Sun-Sing stayed silent, just stroking my hair gently.

“He was my best friend!” I rose in tone. “He was my best friend! He meant the world to me, and now... and now he’s gone...”

“I know... I know.” I sobbed into her as she spoke then. “I know how much it hurts. Just let it all out...”

And I did. I sobbed into her, begging her to bring back Chuu. Begging for any God that was watching to free us from this place. Part of me knew that Chuu had died for no reason- Part of me wanted nothing more than to end it all, and go back to where he was.

But in that moment, Sun-Sing was Chuu. In that moment, she was preventing me from giving up, almost like Chuu himself had possessed her and taught her exactly what to say.

In that moment... she was all I needed.

When the moment passed, and I was wiping the tears away, Sun-Sing finally pulled me away to look at me in the face. I realised she’d been crying, too, but didn’t quote her on it, knowing she probably needed that just as much as I did.

I took a nice deep breath.

I suppose I should try hanging out with someone to try and get my minds off of things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.strawpoll.me/19004992 - Vote for freetime events!
> 
> Also, thanks for over 250 views! I appreciate you all so much.
> 
> See you later, I hope!  
\- Joseph


	15. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 7(B)

**DAY 7(B)**

Walking into the canteen again, I was met with a strange sight.

“Oh, come on, dude!” Motosuki rapidly tapped the side of his head. “Stop being a coward and just go for it already!”

“It’s not that I’m a coward...” Kenjiro replied. “It’s just that I don’t think that way about her. I don’t feel that way about anyone.”

“Akako clearly loves you,” Motosuki jabbed his finger into Kenjiro’s chest. “You gotta stop pussy-footing around your emotions and take life by the balls, dude!”

Kenjiro actually rolled his eyes at that. “Motosuki, you understand what being a Shadow means, right? It means I have no emotion. I don’t get to show anything like that.”

“Then what are you showing me right now?” He asked back. “Clearly you’re feeling something, because--”

“A Shadow is taught how to blend in with others.” Kenjiro suddenly put his mask over his mouth. “The four of us remaining have a different way of subjective personality, something we were taught personally in our revival.”

Motosuki crossed his arms. “Prove it. How can you tell me that you’re not feeling emotion at this moment in time?”

Kenjiro sighed.

_“How’s this for emotionless?”_

And like that, a shiver coursed down my spine when Kenjiro spoke. It wasn’t like he’d be stripped of the tone he’d usually be using- it was more like all emotion had drained from his very being, consumed in a dark pit of nothingness.

Nothing. That’s what he was now... Just nothing. I mean, he was THERE, still standing tall over me, and the words he spoke were real and...

But... he wasn’t... anyone. Life just seemed to lose him in the crowd. Had I not known him personally, I would’ve forgotten that it was him still talking.

Hell, maybe it wasn’t.

“Do you see now?” Kenjiro spoke like the voice wasn’t even coming from his lips. “Do you see why I have to put on an act?”

Motosuki gulped audibly. “Bro...”

“It’s not that... I’m happy.” Kenjiro continued. “Or sad. Or angry. I don’t feel... anything. I haven’t felt anything, for a long time. I’ve forgotten emotion. Abandoned it to survive.”

It was around then that I realised I was crying. “Ken... Please, don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Kenjiro turned to me like clockwork. “Don’t pretend I’m still a good person? That I haven’t done such terrible things that I needed to strip myself of my identity to survive? Was it not destiny that led me to be trapped here amongst you all, forcing myself to hide the nothingness I’ve become?”

“Don’t... blame yourself.”

That seemed to cause him to pause. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t blame yourself for... this.” I stepped forward, extending my hand. “You aren’t doing this because you have to. You’ve been brainwashed, Kenjiro! Brainwashed to believe that the only way to fight your mistakes is to hide them behind a mask!”

Kenjiro, coincidentally, toyed with the strings of his mask as I spoke.

“Yeah, come on, buddy.” Motosuki patted his back and grinned. “We’re friends, right? Friends don’t quit on each other. I don’t care if you’re this.... emotionless person underneath... The man I know was laughing and joking with me earlier! In this very room, as a matter of fact.”

Kenjiro’s eyes had glazed over. It was like we were talking to a statue- a rather animated statue, granted. “I... don’t understand.”

“Maybe not now,” I continued, my hand still out for him to take. “But if we have to teach you how to fight this cloud of dust around you... I won’t back down.”

Motosuki laughed. “I’ll get the vacuum!”

Kenjiro looked down at my hand finally. I could hear the mental debate he was having with himself. Eventually, he just sighed, lowering the mask from around his face.

“I... need a moment.” I could hear a hint of worry in his voice- whether it was put on or not was another story. “To think. To... think.”

Motosuki nodded, taking a step back. “Go right ahead! We won’t stop you, dude. Just know we’re always here if you need us!”

I smiled, stepping aside for him to let him leave. He nodded, walking professionally out of the door with his hands behind his back. I saw that he’d interlocked his fingers as he walked out the open door.

I looked to Motosuki, who took a deep sigh of relief. “I think we did good!”

“We did more than good... we did well.” I smiled at him. “I’m still... shaky, on this whole Shadow thing, but I think Kenjiro might just be trapped under all that. We need to pull him out.”

“Again, I’ll get the vacuum,” He replied earnestly.

“I was thinking more of a pool this time,” I answered.

“Then I’ll get a straw!” Motosuki yelled. “Slurpity Burpity! Try to stop me bitch!”

I don’t know why, but that tickled me good. I laughed hysterically, and so did Motosuki, for a good minute before calming down with tears in our eyes.

“Alright, well...” He wiped his tears away. “I’m gonna head off, dude.”

“W-Wait.” I stopped him. “Um... are you doing anything important?”

“Not really. I was just gonna go sleep for a bit,” He said honestly. “Take a bit of a nap before evening time rolled around, and then see what the hap was fuckening, you know?”

I blinked. “Does your personality consist of ninety percent jokes?”

“Hey!” He said with fake anger. “Eighty Eight percent. Get it right.”

“Alright... in that case, would you like to hang out?” I asked, a little panicky. “It’s fun hanging out with you. You seem so... natural to talk to.”

“Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one!” Motosuki grinned widely, almost proud of being told that. “As a reward, I will allow you to hang out with me... please clap.”

I simply laughed. This was going to be fun.

**...**

I spent some time trading stupid jokes with Motosuki. We grew a little closer that day.

Motosuki swirled a cup of grape juice in a wine glass as we continued our conversation. “Right, let’s get it out of the way. You got any personal questions you want to ask?”

“Hm?” It came out of nowhere, but yes, I did. “Oh, um... I guess I just wanna know about how you came to get to learn about your talent?”

“Ah, that’s a cool story! Glad you ask.” Motosuki put his feet up on the canteen desk. “A long time ago, in the mystical time of six years ago, young Motosuki was at his very first rave.”

“You... went to a rave?” I counted on my fingers. “How old are you now?”

“I’m nineteen! Technically, I shouldn’t have been allowed in, but my dad was with me and he knew the bouncer personally so I got slipped in.” Motosuki shot me a finger gun. “Anyway! At that rave was this really hot chick that ran the DJ booth. Course, she was way out of my league, but she did let me play with the booth a bit, showing me how to do certain things with the disk and the buttons.”

“Were you any good?” I asked.

“Oh, I sucked shit at it!” He laughed back. “The girl did everything while I watched her do it. However, I didn’t give up, and after eighty billion years of begging my parents they got me a DJ booth for Christmas.”

Motosuki almost went into a recollection as he thought about it. Only for a moment, however, when I remembered he was telling a story.

“I used to stay up late into the night rocking out on that thing,” He snickered. “I actually got a noise complaint somewhere along the line, so I had to move it into the nearby garage. And that’s where I held my first rave.”

“Wow, that’s incredible!” I told him.

“Eh, it was definitely SOMETHING,” He replied with a smile. “Like, seven people showed up, and one left early, but that was definitely the beginning of my journey into stardom!”

I chuckled. “You’ll have to give me an autograph.”

“When we get out of here, sure.” Motosuki suddenly leant in. “And if I got online and see you trying to sell it, when you got to sleep that night I’ll be under your bed.”

We both laughed at the joke- well, I hoped it was a joke- before the conversation died and Motosuki left me to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I did as he did, though, and I left the room into the door room to scope out my next move.

And there was Hisonora. I went to say hello before I noticed him slipping something into his front pocket, twisting the cap onto it tightly before swallowing loudly.

“Alrighty...” Hisonora cracked his back. “Human! How to be human? I’m good. We’re good.”

“Hiso?”

His face changed to fear as he looked at me. For a man who was over two foot taller than me, he didn’t seem scary in that moment; in fact, I almost felt like he’d shrunk in size as he rambled out his greeting.

“Osen! Yo!” He laughed nervously. “G-Guess you saw that, huh?”

I looked around for anyone else. “Um... What’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to worry yourself over, Osen.” He crouched down to meet me at the face. “I’ve just got a bit of a cold, so I thought I’d take some cold pills to warm myself up!”

There was a difference between Motosuki and Hisonora when it came to humour. Motosuki could make anything seem funny because everything he DID was funny. Hisonora, on the other hand, had a sort of twinge in his voice that made it hard to hear if he was joking or not, even at the funniest of times.

That’s why I didn’t believe him as he leant up again, looking down the hallway.

“Anyway... guess we need to feed the clown, huh?” He chuckled, walking towards the kitchen with me following. “What do you think they eat? Souls of the innocent?”

“I’m sure he does.” We were talking about Umon, of course- he’d been barricaded in his room to try and protect us from having to deal with his insanity. After all, if he was this Shadow man, we shouldn’t risk having him walk around.

“You think a sandwich would be a good substitute?” He asked me as we made our way into the kitchen.

“We’ll have to see.” I washed my hands quickly. “It’s strange... him and Kenjiro are so different in personality that it’s almost threatening. Umon is this psycho asshole who doesn’t care what he does, while Kenjiro is just... cold.”

“Uh... huh...” Hisonora didn’t understand, but I didn’t get a chance to explain. “Hey, so, I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?”

“About the sleepover we’re having.” He finished making the sandwich quickly. “I’m inviting everyone I can. If you come, that’ll make eight people.”

“Who else is coming?” I asked curiously.

“Well, Sun-Sing and I are gonna be there. Then Kenjiro said he might come see, Akako’s coming because everyone else is, Motosuki’s coming because he’s Motosuki and I think Masa said she was going to take a break to say hello.”

“That’s seven,” I corrected him. “Unless you’re missing someone.”

Hisonora shrugged. “Well, Cho’s probably going to be with Masa, so I sort of just included her in it.”

“Oh... sounds fun.” I smiled. “Okay, I’m in. Where and when?”

“Where? In the lounge. When? In the night.” Hisonora showed the sandwich to me, almost confirming it was good enough. “That’s when Sleepovers usually happen.”

“I’ll be there,” I replied. “See you there.”

I walked out of the room, heading down the corridor and to the bedrooms. I went into the bedroom, lying down on my bed. It was three o’ clock in the afternoon, but I never tended to sleep at sleepovers so I knew I’d need to keep myself awake.

So, with a little bit of effort... I fell asleep.

**...**

I wake up, tied in chains. Pulling at my restraints, I call out for help, my voice hoarse from the dehydration.

I didn’t want this. I was just a messenger. I didn’t want to be trapped here forever.

I could feel the blood dripping out of me. He slit my stomach open, leaving me to die, but I couldn’t. I could never die, not while my job wasn’t done.

I didn’t want to die yet.

Not like this.

Not like this.

**...**

I woke up with a start, shivering like I’d faced the arctic. That dream was... so real. Like I’d actually experienced it.

But I’d never been in that situation before. It was just a nightmare... I didn’t have to worry. In fact, the only thing I had to worry about was what time it was now...

I checked the watch.

9:14pm. I’d missed the dead line.

Jumping up and out of the bed, I ran down the hallway and into the lounge, seeing the sleepover had indeed started without me.

And Hisonora was just beginning a story.

“I told was Michigan was full of work. And they were right. Work was plentiful in the summer... but hard, in the winter.” He was illuminated by candlelight, his face holding a steady expression. “Only the strong survived the winter. I’d watched sheep freeze over in minutes in the deep freeze... men and women alike were all equal when the country froze over.”

To my surprise, everyone who Hiso said was going to be there was already there. I tiptoed over, sitting next to Masa who was cuddling a sleepy looking Cho to her side.

“When the ice didn’t grip a man, however... it was the fear.” Hisonora smirked gently, the side he smiled with being the part shown in candlelight. “The fear of a woman named Lady Ice.”

Motosuki leant forward as we listened intently.

“To some, Lady Ice was a myth. To others, she was once someone, but not anymore.” Hisonora’s voice was soft and tantalising, keeping me fed on every word like a good story should. “To the bravest, however, Lady Ice was no more a story used to deter children from playing in the snow.”

Sun-Sing was twiddling her thumbs. Akako was hugged hard into Kenjiro, shivering with fear.

“To me, Lady Ice was the former of the three,” He continued. “I was young. Impressionable. But I don’t fear the unknown... not anymore, anyway. The people I was staying with, however, had been in the country for over fifty years and had survived every winter that came with the time.”

I almost heard piano music beginning to play as he continued.

“Lady Ice was a familiar story. I’d gone into market the week before the snow storm was supposed to hit and I heard them talking about it. The day it hit, the elderly couple locked all doors and windows and barricaded the exits out, turning out the lights and lighting as many candles as it took to create the same light.” Hisonora’s smirk faded. “They told me to never turn on the natural light, because it attracted Lady Ice... but the candles scared her away.”

Cho looked up curiously suddenly, but she stayed quiet.

“That night... I met Lady Ice.” Hisonora paused, thinking about it. “No... Not met... I saw her, walking across the countryside, her snow white dress matted in blood and hair like frozen shards. She turned to me, her eyes bloodshot and bleeding, and... I ran back up the stairs, locking myself in my room.”

Hisonora put the candle down suddenly.

“... The next day, all the animals they’d tried to keep alive for the winter... they were gutted. Rotting. I didn’t say what happened. I knew that Lady Ice had done it to them.” Hisonora sighed. “The next day, I left for elsewhere, with only one sentence ringing out from the man I’d been a carer for.”

He chuckled as he licked his thumb and forefinger.

“Stay out the dark.”

And like that, he put out the candle, plunging the room into pitch blackness. Akako screamed in fear, and despite how tiny I could see I felt Masa hug Cho closely. In the darkness, I heard Hiso stand and walk over to the light switch, and after he turned it on, the atmosphere of the room changed straight back to friendly banter.

“You were Sooo scared!” Motosuki pointed at Akako.

“S-Shut up!” Akako pouted. “S-So were you!”

Hisonora laughed as he came and sat back down. “Osen! Nice to see you finally joined us.”

“Sorry, I overslept,” I replied honestly. “These things don’t come with alarms.”

Sun-Sing smiled warmly. “It’s nice you came at all.”

Masa nodded. “Indeed.”

Cho looked to Hisonora. “Do you have any more stories?”

“Alright, one more, kid. Then you really need to go to sleep.” Hisonora booped her nose as she yawned. “What would you like to hear? Something old, something new, something with a whole different world of view?”

Cho then yawned again, which caused Masa to sigh and take her by the hand while standing up.

“Now, now.” Masa moved a lock of hair from her eye. “You’re clearly too tired for that, Cho. Come on.”

Cho mumbled. Masa knelt down, asking her to repeat herself, which Cho responded to with outstretched arms.

“Carry me.”

Masa did as she was told, picking up Cho and carrying her like the child she was. “I will return. Say goodnight, Cho.”

“Night...” She mumbled. With that, the pair left, leaving only me and Motosuki in a room with two other potential couples. Akako was whispering with Kenjiro while Sun-Sing chatted with Hisonora.

In that case, I went to talk with Motosuki, only to find him on his phone, so I sighed and turned away.

...

_WAIT._

“M-Motosuki...?” I leant over his shoulder. “Where did you get that...?”

“Huh? Oh, I just found it.” Motosuki shook it at me. “You wanna see? It’s got pictures on it!”

I took it from him graciously, perusing the images that he was talking about. I don’t think she noticed I’d noticed, but Sun-Sing gave me a worried look as I scrolled through the pictures.

It wasn’t hard to see why- the pictures were all of her class. Sun-Sing was in all of them, from the Halloween party to the prom to the class photo. I shook my head painfully, seeing that people like Kaiyo and Yanayashi were in them too.

I wasn’t used to seeing her like this. Sun-Sing was so different to the woman laughing and joking in the pictures that it almost hurt.

I then reached the final picture- a picture of Sun-Sing taking a selfie with Kaiyo- and realised that the image was pretty dark compared to the others. Luckily, I knew the phone’s settings, so I quickly brightened the screen to see that there was a message scrawled onto it.

I swallowed.

‘I NEVER FORGOT YOU.’

I quickly handed the phone back to Motosuki, letting him check it out while Sun-Sing was distracted. Motosuki tutted.

“Well, well...” Motosuki turned the phone off. “What the hell do we do now?”

“We relax,” I told him. “Let’s have one day without having to worry about anything, okay?”

“Agreed!” Motosuki pocketed the phone. “Alright, I was thinking spin the bottle. What do you guys think?”

Suddenly, Masa came back in, holding a tray of Hot Chocolate. After taking my cup, we ended up just talking and relaxing and having fun. Kenjiro cracked a joke, and Akako laughed. Akako flirted a little with Kenjiro, and Kenjiro returned with a flirt of his own. Motosuki nudged my shoulder, I rolled my eyes, Masa pretended not to see what was happening.

Overall, the night moved on with happiness.

And the happiness was all we needed.

**DAY END**


	16. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 8

**DAY 8**

As I expected, I didn’t end up sleeping that night. Well, that’s a lie- I think I fell asleep for about half an hour at some point and woke up again.

I looked over at everyone else, who was actually asleep. Hisonora was passed out on the floor, with Masa and Sun-Sing sleeping on him like he was a mattress. Motosuki was curled up in a blanket at the other side of the room, while Akako and Kenjiro were asleep in each other’s arms.

I sighed. I got up, heading out into the hallway, taking a nice deep breath before looking downwards at D-002 who stood directly in front of me.

“... What?” I asked him effortlessly.

“I’ve come to deliver Christmas cheer!” He joked. “In the form of a new motive!”

“A new... what?” I looked at him, confused. “You’re... what?!”

D-002 cleared his throat, and then finally revealed how he was making his announcements- by literally taking his tire iron and whacking himself in the face with it.

_Ding, Dong, Dong, Ding..._

“SALUTATIONS, hapless students!” D-002 yelled loud enough that it created an echo. “Meet me in the game room for a wonderful, extra-exciting announcement!”

Before I could stop the ringing in my ears, D-002 got out of there, skedaddling like a cartoon character. I growled as I rubbed my ear out, letting my hearing come back to me.

“Osen?” Sun-Sing came out behind me. “Did you hear the announcement...?”

“Yeah, you can say that.” I swallowed. “To the game room, I suppose.”

Sun-Sing and I walked down to the game room, followed by most of the other students. Of course, Umon wasn’t there, but to my surprise neither was Yoriko. Sure, there was a few who arrived later than the others- Masa, Hisonora, Kenjiro, Akako- but Yoriko never appeared.

I had to keep that point to myself, however, when D-002 did a triple front flip out of a hatch in the ceiling, landing on the railing like a gymnast.

“SALUTATIONS!” He waved as he did a back flip onto his elevated platform. “And how are we all feeling? Good, Great, better than ever?”

“Cut it out.” Kane rubbed down his face. “Come on, let’s get this over with...”

“Ah, got an itch to hear what I have to say? What a wonderful compliment!” D-002 twirled his tire iron like a cheerleader baton. “Then I’ll come in with a wonderful, over-simulative MOTIVE!”

Sure enough, the reaction he got was less than pleased. Before anyone could make their points heard, however, D-002 was continuing without pause.

“The motive this time is a lovely little thing known as Family Ties!” D-002 pointed with his tire iron. “Family is the most important thing to everyone! So, by that regard, would it not be the best idea to protect them?!”

The audience cheered as I looked at everyone, expecting them all to be scared or worried like I was...

Nobody’s faces had changed.

“So, the motive is simple!” D-002 put his weapon away. “Commit murder within the next twenty four hours, or I will kill your families!”

The motive, simple enough. The execution? Completely ridiculous. There was no way that... he’d actually captured all our families, right?

However, it was Cho who raised her hand to ask the question I hadn’t even considered.

“Q-Question.” She asked gently. “What if... we don’t have families?”

I swear, I saw the cogs in D-002’s head turning. “Excuse me?”

“My mom and dad got killed...” Cho whined. “I’ve been in the Hope’s Peak Orphanage for two years of my life.”

“My family are dead too,” Hisonora cut in. “Died in a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia. You’re telling me you brought them back to life and are going to kill them again?”

Sun-Sing growled. “My family got killed by your brother AI.”

Kane shrugged. “My family hate me. I hate them. I say let them rot.”

Hirota clicked her tongue. “Family... very old. Sixty. Sixty Two. Live good lives. Said, welcome death. Won’t mind.”

D-002 put his claw over where his mouth would be, clearly speaking into it with distain as the other students continued.

Akako was next. “My family writ me out of the will after I pursued my career, so why should I care about them?”

Kenjiro nodded. “All of my family hate me for what I’ve done.”

“My only family was Wananta...” Kukiko chattered her teeth. “My adoptive parents hated me, berated me for being blind.”

Masa adjusted her dress. She stayed completely silent. Cerberus also stayed silent, but because of his religion, and even though Motosuki was rolling his eyes he didn’t say anything either.

“... Am I the only one here whose family actually like them?”

My voice cut through the crowd, causing everyone to look at me guiltily. Sure enough, the looks were enough to convince me that there was only one person the motive actually affected.

Me.

Mom... Dad... D-002 would kill them. He would kill two innocent people just to influence despair onto me. Nobody else would feel what I feel- I know Umon sure as hell wouldn’t, and I knew Yoriko would be able to shrug it off.

I... I was the only one.

D-002 replied with forced mojo. “H-Hah... You all... you’re funny, you know that? All a bunch of jokesters...”

“We’re not laughing,” Akako replied.

That seemed to put D-002 into a different personality. The personality I’d heard the day before I’d found Chuu.

“Ah, screw it.” He crossed his arms. “Stupid... this shit’s stupid.”

“... Huh?” Sun-Sing reacted almost identical to me.

“Whatever.” D-002 walked backwards, opening the wheel. “You don’t care. Whatever. Guess I’ll go fuck myself.”

And with that, he left. That was that. Just like before, D-002 was... mad? Sad? Unhappy...? I couldn’t tell. All I knew was at that point, I hated everything to do about him.

I took a deep sigh, turning around...

Right into the barrel of a gun.

“... Huh?”

It only took a second for me to recognise the man holding the gun, who was busy using his teeth to pull away tape from his wrist. Umon turned off the safety of the gun, holding the entire crowd back as he twirled around me and held me hostage.

“Now this is a wonderful sight...” He snickered. “How’s everyone doing today?”

“What the fuck, dude?!” Motosuki yelled out, stepping forwards and getting a gun pointed at him instead. “You’re going WAY too far, dude!”

“Too far?!” He laughed into my ear as his hand pulled on my face. “Or not far enough?! Look at you all, letting death play the harp strings! You’re letting your insecurities get to you!”

“What are you even talking about...?” Kenjiro tried to test his limits. “Umon, this is not what our group works for. You’re going too far...”

To that, Umon responded by firing the gun in a semi circle around my feet, causing me to cry out in fear. Cho covered her ears as Masa hugged her close.

“Well, this is a problem,” Hisonora understated it. “Umon, don’t feel threatened to talk about your issues, but I’m sure there’s a better way to do this.”

“It ends TONIGHT!” He puts the gun next to my head. “In the next half an hour, I want you all dead. NOW. We’re ending this killing game, whether or not you want to!”

I watched as Hisonora looked up and around the room as everyone else began yelling at Umon to ‘think this through’ and to ‘stop it now’. To my surprise, suddenly Hisonora looked me right in the eye, and then looked downwards, directing my vision to a discarded bullet casing that had landed at my feet.

I made sure Umon wasn’t looking when I kicked it over to Hisonora. He picked it up and then threw it into the air, distracting Umon who followed it upwards.

I swear, I’ve never seen such a big man move so quickly. I did hear another gunshot go off, but I didn’t really care because then Umon had been sent directly into the elevated platform, cracking the barrier.

“Whoops,” He said casually. I threw myself into him, hugging him tearfully as Sun-Sing also ran straight at Umon and checked to see if he was out cold, which he was.

“Out for the count, huh?” Hisonora pulled me away before grabbing Umon and tying his hands down with rope that he... had. “Looks like he’ll be asleep for quite some time.”

Motosuki tried to speak. “Where did you--”

“We’ll put him back in his room.” Sun-Sing wrung her hands. “I... I don’t want to really ask D-002 to keep an eye on him, but the longer he’s here, the more dangerous he becomes.”

Motosuki tried again. “Hiso, you just--”

“I’ll be willing to watch him,” Masa interrupted. “I’m used to standing in one place for a while. I’m sure this will be no different.”

“Not gonna question why Hiso’s got rope?” Motosuki looked around at us all. “No? N-Not gonna... Okay.”

With that out of the way, everyone left. I followed behind, going into the door room.

Guess it was time to find someone to hang out with... but who?

... Well, it didn’t take long to find the person who needed the attention, as Cho was sat in the door room, twiddling her thumbs.

**...**

I spent some time drawing with Cho. We grew a little closer that day.

“So, Cho...” I crossed my legs. “What made you want to become a Hairdresser?”

“Oh! Well... I was doing some stuff with my mom’s hair and it ended up looking really good, according to her!” Cho toyed with her hair buns. “So, I started doing my doll’s hair, and I got really good at it!”

I smiled at her excitement. “Is that what you want when you grow up, Cho? To be a hairdresser?”

“Yep!” She nodded. “Mom says I’ll be a really good one, so I’m gonna try and be one for them!”

I didn’t think before I said my next sentence. “I’m sure your parents are proud of you, Cho...”

To that, her face fell. “O-Oh... yeah... I guess they are...?”

“You... guess?”

“I haven’t seen mom or dad in a long time,” She replied sadly. “Ever since they passed away. I miss them a lot.”

I tutted. “Oh, I’m... sorry, I forgot about that...”

“It’s alright.” She wiped her eye. “I-I mean, Masa’s very nice! She does everything mom did, and it’s like she... she’s trying to be my mom. A-And Hiso is kind and sweet! He could be my dad...”

I adjusted my bandages. “I guess they could, couldn’t they?”

“... Do you think they’d love each other, Osen?” Cho giggled. “They can be Mom and Dad! And they can be happy together, right?”

I ruffled her hair. “Sure, Cho. I’ll ask them if that’s what they wanna be.”

I was lying, of course, but Cho seemed content enough to stay drawing in that room so I decided to head out and back to the door room. It hadn’t occurred to me until then, but Yoriko was still missing- I hadn’t see him at all today.

To my surprise as I walked in, there was Cerberus, reading from a book.

“Hey, Cerberus.” I walked over as he looked up. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” He replied casually. “Simply reading his teachings.”

“Ah, the... God, right?” I tilted my head, trying to keep interested. “You’re rather devout to him, aren’t you...?”

“But of course!” He snapped the book closed. “Even in the darkest moments, Danafulu will guide my hand with his light...”

“How?” I shook my head, realising that wasn’t the question to ask. “No, never mind. Have you seen Yoriko? I need to ask him something.”

“I have not seen the one known as Yoriko,” He replied. “Perhaps he is in his room? Or maybe he is simply avoiding us? The human mind decides its path.”

“... Right.” I nodded. “Thank you Cerberus... I’ll keep that in mind.”

I walked down the corridor to the bedrooms, rather hurriedly, while Cerberus returned to his book. Surely, if there was a reason for Yoriko’s disappearance, we’d know, right...?

As I headed into the bedrooms, however, I saw a chilling sight- Yoriko was exiting a false wall at the far back of the bedrooms, looking around suspiciously as he closed it behind him. He took a deep sigh, thinking that nobody had caught him doing it.

“Yoriko?”

“AH, YOU FUCKER- Hey, Osen!” Yoriko did get scared by me coming out of the darkness, but he quickly disregarded it and tried to act casual. “You, uh... you doing okay?”

He was hiding something. That was my first thought- clearly he’d seen something in the hidden room that had spooked him, and now he was trying to remain calm as not to scare me. However, that wasn’t exactly what I was scared of.

“... Where have you been?” I asked, stepping two steps forward. “You’ve been missing since this morning...”

Yoriko quickly dropped his act. “Alright, look... you can’t mention this to anyone, okay? I don’t want to start a panic.”

“Yoriko--”

“Don’t... Get the wrong idea.” He stopped me, clearly knowing what I was about to insinuate. “I swear to all Gods, I found that shit by accident while I was stumbling around in the darkness. Who needs to be a detective when your luck can find things far easier?”

I rubbed my arm nervously. Again, I was the second shortest in the group- Yoriko was six foot four, so he could easily silence me if he thought I was a threat, but to my surprise he actually looked as uneasy as I was.

“... What was back there?” I asked gently.

He didn’t respond, just taking me by the shoulder and pushing us into the nearby bedroom. I wasn’t sure who it belonged to, but considering the blanket was messy and there were drawings all over the walls I guessed it was probably Cho’s.

“... You really need to know?”

The way he asked it was what made me question myself. He didn’t use the word ‘want’; he used the word ‘need’, like the information had to be vital for me to have to know it. Did... did that mean it’s so bad that he didn’t want me to know...?

“I... Guess not,” I replied. “I just want to know why you’ve been gone for so long.”

I watched as he paced away from me, cracking each knuckle as he walked before stopping and looking at the drawings.

“I saw their bodies.”

I gulped. I knew what he meant almost instantly. “C-Chuu?”

“Yuno, too,” he continued. “It was some sort of... storage. A morgue. They were inside the little cabinets...”

He took a deep breath, stopping himself from going into detail. I’m glad he did- I don’t think I could’ve taken it if he had.

“I... That’s all I found.” He was clearly lying, but I didn’t try to call him out on it. “Promise.”

“... Okay.” I bit my lip. “If that’s really all you saw, then I guess--”

And then... A scream surfaced.

I looked back at the door, the sound piercing the air like a whistle. It was clearly male, but that didn’t mean anything at the moment. I ran my way into the hall, followed by Yoriko as we looked around for who could’ve made the sound.

I looked right up the hall, seeing that the scream belong to Motosuki as he tumbled backwards, yelling at the top of his voice. I rushed towards him, getting to the door room before a pit emerged in my stomach.

Motosuki began crying, pointing and blabbering about something I didn’t understand. I had to kneel next to him, trying my hardest to calm him down.

“Motosuki!” I grabbed his shoulder, shaking him. “Motosuki, hey, calm down... It’s okay... what happened?”

Motosuki looked at the entrance to the grand hall, the area behind the large door. “I-I was just... I... I was walking... I...”

“Okay, I...” I looked into the grand hall. “I’m going to see, okay? Don’t... Don’t move.”

“No!” He grabbed my arm. “No, no, don’t... don’t, it... no...”

I pried his hand off. “Motosuki, please. I’ll be right back.” Whatever it was, it was scaring him badly- he’d gone sheet white, and had to take deep, deep breaths just to keep conscious.

... What happened?

Well, I was about to find out. I rounded the corner.

I... Rounded... the... corner...

Instantly, I threw up. Yoriko also headed through, seeing what I saw and reacted violently. “Oh, what the FUCK?!”

In front of us was a gruesome sight. Gruesome in the form of a corpse.

Gruesome, because their neck was broken.

Gruesome, because the skin from their leg was pulled away, caught in a bear trap.

Gruesome... in the form of Kukiko Tezuka, who was stretched out into a macabre art project.

**Ding, Dong, Dong, Ding...**


	17. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION

**DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION**

Kukiko... I hadn’t known her for long. I had wanted to try and get to know her, at least a little bit, but I had never found the right opportunity to do so.

I guess I’d never get that chance now.

As the announcement rung and we was left looking at the corpse, Osen collapsed to her knees again, panting for breath. The air was sickly, a combination of copper and gangrene, just another smell I’d have to get used to.

Of course, then came D-002 and the rest of the students. Cho screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw it, and even though I knew it wasn’t the usual kind to hide the eyes of people I found myself throwing my hand over her eyes.

I wasn’t fond of children. I was fond of protecting their innocence though.

D-002 looked the body up and down, laughing as he did. “And you guys said the motive didn’t affect you! Clearly, someone here cared enough to perform such a feat!”

I scowled at his overly cheery tone. “Will you just fuck off? Give us the damn file and leave. We don’t want to deal with you during the investigation.”

“Oh, but of course!” D-002 did a spin, and caused all our watches to beep. “There’s the file! You have half an hour... investigation, begin!”

As D-002 skipped away, I pulled up the file with no time to lose. The ‘Special Hint’ was there too, but I’d be reading that during my own time.

“The Victim is Kukiko Tezuka. They were found in the Grand Room’s Hallway at approximately 2:00pm. The cause of death is asphyxiation via a broken neck.”

I looked back to the body. That seemed obvious, to be honest- the rope was tight enough that it was creating bruises around her neck. However, that didn’t explain away the bear trap, or the fact Motosuki had presumably watched her die in front of him.

Unless, of course... Motosuki was the killer. Though, even now, I suspected literally everyone, including myself. It was good to keep options open.

Of course, there was someone not with us right now.

“Hey...” Cho warbled slightly. “W-Where’s Masa?”

I looked around. “Hm. You guys go find them; I’ll deal with the body.”

A wave of people ran off then, leaving me alone. Well, not alone- the body was there with me, and so was Osen. I sucked air through my teeth as she stood up, wiping her mouth of vomit.

“Mmm...” She tried to seem calm. “S-Should I help with the evidence again, Yoriko?”

“Osen, that’s...” I stopped myself, looking at her big watery eye. Surely, it would be good to try and keep her occupied... she was probably thinking back to last time. “... A good idea. Just keep your distance so you don’t have to smell it.”

I walked over, choking down my breath as I got close to the body. Kukiko was being made stand upright from the bear trap holding her foot closed and the rope tied around her neck, pulling hard into the ceiling. The entire contraption should be a good start.

“Alright, let’s see here.” I spoke aloud, following the rope with my finger without touching it. “The rope goes up to the ceiling... looks like someone installed climbing gear in it. The rope runs along the climbing hooks and down to the floor, where they appear to be snagged in the bear trap.”

Osen stopping crying, trying to seem like she could help. “So, when someone stood on the bear trap, do you think it set off the trap? It... Seems so weird to think of it doing that.”

I nodded. “Yeah... yeah, it really does. That can’t be it then...”

Then again, how else would it work? The trap was clearly made with something in mind, but I could NOT figure out what. There was no pulley system to yank the rope back, no monitoring system nearby that someone could pull it away from.

So... how did it work? Maybe an autopsy would help.

“Alright, Osen... I have no idea how this device works,” I explained. “So I’m going to do an autopsy. Get ready.”

“Got it...”

She tried to sound confident. She really didn’t.

I started by stamping on the bear trap’s release mechanism, pulling Kukiko’s body out of the mess. To add to my theory, the rope didn’t get any slack to it- it remained firmly pulled tight like it had frozen in place. I pulled the rope from the climbing hooks, laying Kukiko’s body down in as a respectful position as I could.

“Sure enough, the rope is far too tight to relieve any pressure from. It has to have been used to break her neck, meaning the rope had been pulled with such velocity to break bone.”

I heard Osen whimper as she made a mental judgement.

If it was any light in the dark, Kukiko would’ve died instantly. No suffering, no blood... Apart from the blood still gently flowing from her leg.

The bear trap was next. I didn’t touch it, but I did examine it. Where would one get such an item from? It hadn’t been in the weapon room. Then again, neither had the climbing hooks.

Then again... neither had rope.

“Looks like all the items used are foreign to this place,” I explained. “They weren’t in any of the rooms I’ve explored.”

“Climbing hooks, Rope, Bear trap...” Osen paused before continuing. “If they weren’t in the weapons room, that means they were taken from somewhere we haven’t been yet.”

“How do we even know that the bear trap was used in the murder?” Osen questioned me professionally. “What if the bear trap activated after she got killed?”

That’s when I realised that there was someone we could actually ask about that.

“Motosuki...” I spoke aloud, despite meaning to just say it to myself. “He’s the one who last saw Kukiko alive. We should ask him about it.”

Osen muttered under her breath as I let Kukiko’s body rest. I gave her a small prayer, too, mostly because I didn’t have time to do the full thing.

It wasn’t difficult to find Motosuki- he was in the canteen, shakily drinking from a water bottle that Kenjiro had provided to him. The man in question was standing off to the side of Motosuki, letting him take his time while drinking.

Though Kenjiro gave me a look, I sat across from Motosuki with the intent of collecting an alibi. He just gave me a look, the bags under his eyes being enough proof of why he wasn’t going to talk outright.

“Motosuki--”

“Dude, can I just...” He raised a finger to me. “Have a moment? I’m still... trying to think about what happened without seeing her face.”

“R-Right.” I adjusted the cuffs to my top. “Perhaps I could help with that?”

Motosuki chuckled coldly. He saw right through my tactic, but seemed to relent, speaking aloud as he gave me his side of the story.

“I was in the butterfly garden with Kukiko.” He adjusted his hair, moving it out of his eyes so I could see both of them. “It was her choice- I didn’t take her there to just be like ‘hah hah, you’re blind, you can’t see them’, before you ask.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Yeah, well,” Motosuki played with one of the rings on his finger. “After we left, I... I saw the bear trap. I stepped over it, thinking, oh hey, look at that. I... I realised too late that Kukiko wouldn’t be so lucky, and she just... stepped on it.”

“And you never yelled for anyone?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I did!” He continued. “I ran to the other end of the Grand Hall, where Cerberus and Hirota were. After explaining what was going on, they ran off to...”

Then, he paused, and I could see the confusion on his face.

“... They ran off to find help.” Then, his face changed to anger. “What the hell! Where did they go?! They were supposed to come find you guys to get help!”

I tilted my head. “That’s certainly something I’ll ask.”

“Well, yeah...” His anger faded. “I... I ran back to Kukiko, telling her about how I was gonna get help, but... then I saw she was... Like that and I...”

I patted his shoulder. “Thank you, Motosuki. You’ve been a big help today.”

“Yeah, I know you still suspect me,” Motosuki grinned.

“That’s my job,” I replied seriously. “Ah, but that does raise the question; did you ever see the contraption that killed Kukiko?”

“Nope!” He said back. “One second, she’s struggling to get the bear trap off, the next she’s fucking hung like the gallows!”

“Alright, alright.” I stand up, letting him wallow. “I’ll go talk to the others about this. Thanks, Motosuki.”

“Yeah...” Motosuki drank some water. “You’re fucking welcome, I suppose.”

As I walked away from him, Kenjiro cleared his throat, causing me to pause.

“A moment of your time?” He stepped forward, motioning me over. Osen gulped as I walked back to him. “I... Think I have something you need to hear.”

I walked back. “What’s up?”

“Yoriko, I...” Kenjiro tutted. “I think the Shadow might be involved in this kill.”

“The Shadow?” I bit the inside of my cheek.

“No, I... I _know_ so. Only a Shadow would have the sort of mental capacity to do something like this.” Kenjiro dulled his tone so Motosuki didn’t hear him. “One of the Shadows has to be responsible.”

“... I take it you know the other Shadows?” I asked.

“I do.” He replied.

“And... you’re not going to tell us,” I added.

“... I’m not.” Kenjiro licked his teeth. “Sorry, Yoriko. But I’m not going to out my family.”

“They aren’t your family, Ken.” I grabbed Kenjiro by the shoulders. “They’ve brainwashed you. Please, you can’t let them take you over.”

Kenjiro looked at me with his only eye. I could tell that, deep down, he was still the person he used to be. Someone who would’ve actually had a personality before the Shadow corrupted him.

However, Kenjiro clearly didn’t agree with me. He simply took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.”

I replied with a sigh of my own. “We’re going to have a long discussion later.”

“I don’t doubt that,” He replied gently.

With that out of the way, Osen and I left out into the corridor again, and guess who was there to make matters worse?

If you guessed Umon, you’d be correct.

“Oh, great.” I groaned, looking at him as he leant on the wall. “You better have the mother of all excuses to be here.”

“And not tied up!” Osen added, hiding behind me.

Umon rolled his wrists into a ‘hey look at me’ pose. “Well, well! D-002 let me go because I’m required to be part of the trial, you know?”

I walked straight past him.

“Hey! I’m not done talking!” He yelled.

“I don’t care. Like you’d have any information I need.” I walked straight into the bedrooms, seeing that Cho was there, worriedly shivering as she stayed near the door to one of the bedrooms.

Osen happily comforted Cho as I headed inside the room to see that Masa was passed out, laid out in bed like she was a mummy. Kane, Hirota and Cerberus were here, with Kane being the one to keep by her side.

“What happened to her?”

Hirota tried to explain. “Yoriko! Masa... found in hall! Big hit, back of head!”

Cerberus luckily heard my question as a direct one. “It appears someone struck Masa from behind. No dubitably the scum of the Earth, Umon.”

“Is she going to be okay?” I asked them. Sure enough, looks like Umon had been at it again. “Will she be alright for the trial?”

“We not know.” Hirota motioned to Kane. “Kane look at head. Say may be ‘concussion’. Not know what mean.”

“It means she could have a brain problem.” I put it in the best way I could. “Hopefully it won’t affect her ability to stand... D-002 made it obvious that those who weren’t in the trial got punished.”

Cerberus wagged his finger at me, alerting me that he needed me to direct something at him.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“If I may... the door appears to have a foot mark on it.” Cerberus pointed to the door. “It’s from the force of where a boot was planted against it. Perhaps Masa was knocked unconscious using the door’s swing?”

“That’s a good point,” I agreed. “If Masa was standing with her back to the door, it could’ve struck her in an awkward angle.”

Kane looked over his shoulder. “There is a bit of dust going down her back, too. It might be worth asking her about when she wakes up.”

That’s when I remembered what I was supposed to be doing.

“Alright, Hirota, next question.” I turned back to her. “Motosuki claims he saw you in the Grand Hall.”

“Ah! Yes. Was there with Cerberus. Want see things not seen.” Hirota smiled innocently. “Then, Motosuki come. Tell about Kukiko! Get scared. Not want die. Go try find people, but no people around!”

Cerberus heard his name and assumed she needed him to back up her story. “I can confirm it. Motosuki ran over and demanded we help him free Kukiko from the bear trap. However, I do not know how to do that, so I ran off to find help instead.”

“And... you didn’t find anyone?” I asked him.

“Well, actually, I was the one who found Masa unconscious,” Cerberus continued. “After putting her in bed, I heard the body discovery announcement. This was the first room I could find... so I suppose this is Umon’s.”

Well, that explained why Masa was put in the way she was. I nodded, crossing my arms as I looked back to Kane, who got up and adjusted his suit. That’s all I was gonna find in here, it seemed.

I guess all I had to do was look at the secret hint. With a stone in my heart, I decided to check it.

‘The killer is Left-Handed.’

To the tune of my disappointment, the bell of the investigation finishing rang out with the familiar four-bell chime. That meant it was time to go to the trial.

To my surprise, I wasn’t the first one there; Umon was there, leaning against the wall with a shit-eating grin. One by one, those remaining walked back into the Game Room.

“SALUTATIONS!” D-002 was there, too, but didn’t speak until everyone gathered... everyone except Masa. “It appears we’re all ready for the trial!”

“W-Wait!” Cho looked around. “Masa... Where’s Masa?!”

“Oh, would you look at that!” D-002 laughs to himself. “Well, if that’s the case--”

“I’m here.”

We all turned around, seeing that Masa was wobbling her way into the trial room. She was clearly in pain, perhaps even in agony, but she didn’t show that in her face- only in her eyes, the first thing I always look at.

D-002 seemed stunned, but held his tone. “Ah, aren’t you a trooper! Everyone, please, stand at your podiums- the trial will begin when everyone is in place!”

The booths began ascending then. Or, rather, the entire room moved downwards like a lipstick bottle being twisted. There were two new things to see this time; two things in the forms of Yuno and Kukiko’s portraits. Yuno’s was just a cross over her chest instead of her face, while Kukiko’s cross seemed overgrown with flowers and weeds.

What a horrible fate. To be remembered by an X on a portrait.

With no more than pain in my heart, I took my stance at the podium assigned to me...

And the Trial began.

**...**

** EVIDENCE: **

D-FILE: “The Victim is Kukiko Tezuka. They were found in the Grand Room’s Hallway at approximately 2:00pm. The cause of death is asphyxiation via a broken neck.”

SPECIAL HINT: The Killer is Left-Handed.

CONTRAPTION: A rope, which is looped up through climbing hooks, appears connected to the bear trap. When the bear trap went off, it caused the rope to hang whoever was trapped in it. However, it doesn’t appear to have any way to do that...

ITEMS USED: A Bear trap, a Rope and Climbing Hooks were used in the contraption; these items have not been found anywhere else in the facility up until this point.

YORIKO’S AUTOPSY: A rope was used to break Kukiko’s neck. Kukiko’s leg was trapped in a bear trap upon finding her. It is yet to be discovered if either of these things are correlated.

MOTOSUKI’S ALIBI: After leaving the butterfly farm, Motosuki claims that Kukiko’s leg got caught in the bear trap. He ran off to try and get help, finding Hirota and Cerberus, but when they went to find something to free her Kukiko was then hanging like that. Motosuki never saw the set up.

KENJIRO’S PREDICTION: Kenjiro ‘knows’ that the killer is part of the Shadow, as they have the sort of mental prowess to do this sort of kill. Of course, Kenjiro will not say who it is for fear of being targeted by them.

MASA’S CONDITION: Masa was found unconscious in the hallway after having her head hit by a violent force. The door has been cracked from where a foot hit it, meaning it may have been the weapon used.

HIROTA’S/CERBERUS’ ALIBI: the pair claims to have been hanging out when Motosuki asked for help. While Hirota says she ran to find people but couldn’t find anyone, Cerberus claims that he found Masa unconscious and decided to help her instead.

**TRIAL BEGIN- ALL RISE!**


	18. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL PART 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIDENCE:  
D-FILE: “The Victim is Kukiko Tezuka. They were found in the Grand Room’s Hallway at approximately 2:00pm. The cause of death is asphyxiation via a broken neck.”
> 
> SPECIAL HINT: The Killer is Left-Handed. 
> 
> CONTRAPTION: A rope, which is looped up through climbing hooks, appears connected to the bear trap. When the bear trap went off, it caused the rope to hang whoever was trapped in it. However, it doesn’t appear to have any way to do that...
> 
> ITEMS USED: A Bear trap, a Rope and Climbing Hooks were used in the contraption; these items have not been found anywhere else in the facility up until this point.
> 
> YORIKO’S AUTOPSY: A rope was used to break Kukiko’s neck. Kukiko’s leg was trapped in a bear trap upon finding her. It is yet to be discovered if either of these things are correlated.
> 
> MOTOSUKI’S ALIBI: After leaving the butterfly farm, Motosuki claims that Kukiko’s leg got caught in the bear trap. He ran off to try and get help, finding Hirota and Cerberus, but when they went to find something to free her Kukiko was then hanging like that. Motosuki never saw the set up.
> 
> KENJIRO’S PREDICTION: Kenjiro ‘knows’ that the killer is part of the Shadow, as they have the sort of mental prowess to do this sort of kill. Of course, Kenjiro will not say who it is for fear of being targeted by them.
> 
> MASA’S CONDITION: Masa was found unconscious in the hallway after having her head hit by a violent force. The door has been cracked from where a foot hit it, meaning it may have been the weapon used.
> 
> HIROTA’S/CERBERUS’ ALIBI: the pair claims to have been hanging out when Motosuki asked for help. While Hirota says she ran to find people but couldn’t find anyone, Cerberus claims that he found Masa unconscious and decided to help her instead.  
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

“I shall begin with a basic explanation of the class trial. The game is simple! If you committed the murder, your task as the Blackened is to lie and deceive your way out of this. If you are innocent, you are considered the Spotless, and you will be fighting to stop the Blackened from escaping! If the Blackened wins, they will be granted their greatest desire, as well as freedom, but if the Spotless wins the game will continue; but you’ll all live. You have two hours- begin!”

I looked at everyone with judging eyes. Sure enough, Umon had to be present, as did Masa. However, there was someone I was actually rather concerned about the sanity of.

“Before we begin... Can I ask a question?” Cho raised her hand. “Um... What happens if the kill wasn’t a kill?”

“If it was a suicide?” D-002 scoffed. “Puh-lease! I wouldn’t let that happen!”

“But if it did happen, what then?” Cho repeated.

“Well...” D-002 rubbed his face mask with a claw. “I suppose the blackened would be the victim! After all, they did kill someone- just that person happened to be themselves.”

Sun-Sing growled slightly. “That’s not what he did...”

Hisonora made his vocals heard. “Cho, why would you ask that exactly?”

The first discussion began with Cho’s innocence on full display.

“W-Well... The thing with the rope. Kukiko had the... the noose, right?” Cho made a wrapping motion with her neck. “She made that, and then did the thing, right?”

“If you’re implying she commit suicide, that’s not possible.” Osen looked to me, so I nodded back at her to confirm she was right. “She’d need a lot more room in the hallway...”

Sun-Sing huffed. “Please don’t talk about suicide like that.”

“Hey, they’ve got a point, Double S.” Hisonora waggled his fingers. “If Kukiko committed suicide, they picked the standard way to do it.”

“Yes, but the standard way is impossible thanks to the set up,” Osen continued. “After all, there’s **someone here who can account for it**.”

“I agree with that!” I pointed to her, letting her know I appreciated the help. “See, Motosuki was the last person to see her alive. That means he can confirm what her intent was.”

“Her intent was to have fun.” Motosuki crossed his arms, hating this discussion going on around him when he should be the main focus. “We just wanted five minutes to ourselves, away from the fucking noise. And she just...”

“Take your time, Motosuki.” Kenjiro twirled his hair on his finger. “Let’s try something else, alright?”

Umon chuckled. “Oh come off that. What else is there to discuss?”

“Maybe perhaps who decided to attack me?” Masa held an ice pack against the back of her head. “Though I can probably guess who it was.”

Umon looked back, seeing the eyes were on him. “What? You think I’d waste my time attacking you? You must be full of yourself.”

“Amazing to see you’re still lost in your delusions,” Kane tutted.

“I’m not.” Umon’s eyes darkened. “I never attacked Masa. After all, my wrists were tied in rope.”

Rope...

... We needed to discuss that more.

“I never attacked Masa,” Umon repeated. “I was lying in bed, waiting for you to deliver me dinner.”

Sun-Sing sighed. “We tied his wrists to make sure he didn’t try and attack us when we checked up on him.”

“We did use tape, for a while,” Hisonora added. “Apparently that doesn’t work as well as I thought it does.”

Akako, who’d been rather quiet up to that point, bounced in. “Well, t-then Umon must’ve done some stupid Shadow stuff and hit Masa with magic!”

“We... Don’t have magic,” Kenjiro explained.

Umon laughed. “Please! Don’t delude yourself... **I’d have no way** to attack Masa!”

I stopped him with a point. “Actually, you’d have a brilliant way to do that. After all, if your feet weren’t tied, you’d definitely have a way to knock her out.”

“Are you referring to the footprint on the door?” Kane asked me.

“I am indeed.” I made sure I knew what I was talking about. “Masa’s Condition, two lines in. It clearly says that there’s a footprint on the door.”

“Might I also add, you’re the only one who was in the room at the time,” Masa added. “Nobody came to visit. I’d been standing at the door since the beginning.”

Umon rolled his eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. I’m not exactly the most popular person here, am I?”

“Just admit it was you,” Osen responded.

Umon chuckled. “See, that’s the funny thing. It genuinely wasn’t.”

Akako pouted. “Stop lying!”

“I’m not!” Umon was almost laughing in anger. “I’m genuinely not! And I know someone who can vouch for why it couldn’t be me.”

We looked around, seeing that nobody wanted to speak up. That was until Umon cleared his throat and went to repeat himself.

“Yeah, I heard you.”

To my unfortunate surprise, Hisonora was the one to speak up. He rubbed the back of his head, loudly laughing to himself as he explained.

“Yeah, so... It couldn’t have been Umon.” Hisonora kept in his awkward stance. “After the events of this morning, I decided to tie his legs together with tape too to make sure he couldn’t move.”

“And there’s clearly only one footprint on the door...” Masa was checking her watch. “So Umon couldn’t have kicked with his legs tied.”

“There’s so much more than that, though!” Umon laughed again. “Because D-002 can confirm something even better! Can’t you, you robotic piece of shit?!”

“Well, now I don’t want to.” D-002 tried to joke, but got a stern look in response. “... But I suppose I’ll confirm that when I removed the restraints on Umon, the door was already unlocked!”

I paused for a second to place the timeline together. Suddenly, something didn’t make sense.

“... But that means...” I looked at my watch again. “Wait, that means Umon wasn’t in his room when the body discovery announcement went off.”

“How do you suspect?” Kenjiro asked me.

“Well, because Cerberus was already in Umon’s room when it went off.” I had to reread the clue a few times. “There’s not a lot of information here, but Cerberus, didn’t you say that you were tending to Masa in Umon’s room when the body discovery announcement went off?”

Cerberus nodded, having been directed at. “I will admit, now you say it aloud, it does sound strange. Umon was not in the room with us.”

“And no rope in room!” Hirota added, thinking it’d help. “Umon crawl, like worm?”

“Well, that’s certainly fitting,” I heard Motosuki mutter.

“But that means Umon had gotten out of the room before Cerberus found Masa!” Cho was clearly lost. “When did Umon get free?!”

That... was a good question. Suddenly, I was running hurdles in my mind, trying to figure out where exactly I’d gotten lost.

... It wasn’t until I remembered something incredibly important that I realised the undeniable truth.

“... Umon’s door was closed.” I looked up at Osen, who seemed to instantly understand the same point. “Umon’s door was definitely closed when we found it, right Osen?”

“... Y-Yeah, it was!” She luckily managed to back me up. “And Masa... wasn’t anywhere nearby...”

Masa seemed to flinch at that thought. “C-Cerberus, you DID take me into Umon’s room, right?”

“I can definitely confirm I did,” Cerberus replied calmly. “Hirota and Kane can confirm that too.”

Hirota made a thinking face. “... Is there chance that... we have wrong room?”

“Umon’s room is definitely the furthest room on the middle corridor’s left, right?” Kane put a hand to his head, trying his hardest to think. “I-I just remember watching Sun-Sing throwing him in that room, so I just assumed it’s his.”

“It IS his,” Sun-Sing crossed her arms, “and I think you guys are freaking out over nothing. Isn’t it possible Cerberus just closed the door to Umon’s room after taking her in there?”

Issue was, that wasn’t true. The door was wide open when I’d headed in to talk to Hirota and Cerberus; yes, that might’ve been because there were people in it, but...

“Kane, did you try closing the door when you were in the room?” I asked it more as a demand than a question.

“I never did,” He responded. “It was open when I got there.”

All at once, it hit me. For the first time in my life, I felt genuine anger towards someone- but not towards whom you would’ve expected.

“Cerberus...” I spoke through gritted teeth. “You’ve been lying to us, haven’t you?”

Cerberus simply blinked. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“There is NO way you don’t,” I pitched back at him. “These stories of you finding Masa in the corridor, pulling her into Umon’s room- you’ve been lying about it.”

“... We would’ve found her first,” Osen mentioned. “We were in the exact same corridor, two minutes before we ran to the body.”

Motosuki also tacked on his two cents. “I met with Hirota and Cerberus about three minutes before Kukiko got killed... Maybe four to be generous.”

“And you expect us to believe that you ran down the corridor in negative time?” I finished the blame. “Cerberus, it’s easier to think that you never even found Masa at all. Perhaps Masa was already in the bedroom to begin with...”

“Or perhaps Cerberus attack her.”

With that point in the air, courtesy of Hirota, the trial room turned towards him. He was still blinking, almost confused in his own gaze, so it was clear he was going to defend himself.

“I do not understand...” Again, it was lucky he’d taken the statement of intent as a direct indication. “Why does I finding Masa unconscious rule me as her attacker?”

With his question, a new discussion began, starting with Umon asking an immediate question.

“Now comes the fun part,” He started. “How quickly do you think Cerberus can move?”

“Masa was never present in the hallway when I met with Yoriko.” Osen was happily avoiding the conversation about the hidden room. “Not conscious, not unconscious. If she was hidden around the corner, Yoriko would’ve seen her.”

“Perhaps it’s worth reviewing a map of the facility?” Kane questioned.

“There’s nothing to review!” Sun-Sing put him in line. “The middle left room at the far end is Umon’s room, and that’s the room you were present in!”

“Then is there a chance he was just... wrong?” Akako really wasn’t adding anything to this conversation. “About finding Masa, I mean?”

“Akako, sweetie, shush,” Kenjiro asked her.

“D-Don’t call me sweetie...” She replied, blushing deeply.

“We were in the bedroom across from Umon’s for around two minutes.” Osen was still desperately grasping at straws. “Cerberus must’ve **hidden Masa in a different room** beforehand, and then--”

“Hold it!” I clicked my fingers, finally figuring out the missing point. “I think I finally get it... Though it may just raise more problems.”

“Alright, shoot.” Motosuki was interested. “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s the way D-002 worded this clue.” I was referring once again to Masa’s Condition. “It very clearly says that Masa was ‘was found unconscious in the hallway’. It never says that Cerberus was the one to find her, however.”

Osen’s gears were turning. “Wait, so... that means...”

Motosuki interjected. “Cerberus is taking credit for something he didn’t do!”

“That’s... not entirely true.” I knew I’d have to explain this part. “It’s better to think that someone _else_ found Masa, and Cerberus was able to take credit instead.”

Sure enough, the timeline was beginning to shape itself in my head now. Everything that hadn’t made sense was now beginning to have some sort of semblance to the story.

The Chaos Theory had worked its magic once more.

However, even now, Cerberus waved his hand at me, meaning he wish to spoke.

“Cerberus? Is there something wrong with--?”

**“I wish to argue your theory.”**

Out of nowhere, Cerberus had interrupted me, and suddenly we were staring each other down.

“Forgive my... unlawful, behaviour, but i wish to deny what you have said.”

I licked my teeth. “Really now? What exactly are you talking about?”

“I did indeed find Masa in the hallway.” Cerberus placed his hands together. “And I did indeed take her into Umon’s room. I would ask that you stop confusing these people with your theory.”

Cerberus had caught me hook, line and sinker as he dragged me into a one-on-one debate. He hadn’t stopped talking as we went into it, so he could continue without me needing to ask him to continue.

“I can understand the confusion,” he started by telling me. “However, I do feel as though we have not met eye to eye somewhere. After all, I clearly know what I know, while you know what you know. It is there our ideas clash for better or for worse.”

“Wait, so...” I flicked at him with my wrist. “Your argument for lying is that we’re both wrong? How does that work?”

“I am not stating either of us is wrong,” He continued. “I am simply stating that there is a chance we are not seeing it from the same point of view. For example, I know that you were talking with Osen. I was there, after all. However,** there is a reason **you must’ve never seen me.”

I halted almost instantly. Flicking to Hirota/Cerberus’ Alibi, I felt my blood run cold again.

I was wrong. Cerberus had found Masa.

But Cerberus had never told us where he’d found her.

“Wait...” I gripped my podium. Being wrong wasn’t easy for me- especially now, because I felt I’d wasted so much time discussing Masa’s condition. “This entire time, I...”

“Yoriko?” Osen tilted her head.

“... My God, I’m a fucking idiot.” I facepalmed. It was a case of me overlooking a crucial detail. “Cerberus DID find Masa. It says in the damn alibi section. He just didn’t find him in the hallway we were in.”

Osen eye twitched. “Yoriko! Are you saying we were looking at it wrong since the beginning?!”

“And that’s right... There is a reason Cerberus couldn’t tell us.” I thumped my head on my podium. “One stupid, crucial reason that I completely missed.”

It had been a problem since the start. Something I should’ve known. Something that I had even directly addressed during my time here with him.

“Cerberus can’t speak unless spoken to.” I kept my arms folded over my head. “So he knew we were there... but never asked for help because of his religion.”

Silence.

And then, a laugh surfaced.

“AHAHAHAHAH! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!” Umon was creasing himself.

“You directed this entire trial on a damn mistake?!” Akako yelled at me.

“What the hell, dude?!” Motosuki threw his hands into the air. “We wasted so much damn time on this shit!”

I looked up at everyone, who was now yelling at each other to either calm down or get angry. I’d done this. This was my fault.

The Chaos Theory had worked its magic once more.

“Everybody SHUT UP!” Suddenly, Sun-Sing was taking charge. “Please, all of you calm down! We can salvage this!”

“And how do you suspect we do that?” Umon, ever the pessimist, turned to her with devilish eyes. “We have an hour left. Do you really think putting any more pressure on this topic will help?”

Sun-Sing sniffed. “N-No... it... it’s not that.”

Umon’s smile faded. “Well, what the hell is it? Speak, woman!”

“I...” Sun-Sing looked up. “I know who knocked Masa unconscious. And if... if my hunch is c-correct, then... I know who the killer of Kukiko is, too.”

“Thatta girl!” Motosuki pumped his fist. “Awesome sauce, Sun-Sing! I knew you were a smart one! So... who was it?”

Sun-Sing stayed quiet for a few seconds. It was clear she didn’t want to say who it was. Then, with a gentle finger, she shakily pointed across the room to...

... N-No, it couldn’t be.

“Hiso...” Sun-Sing looked up, tears in her eyes. “I-I’m sorry, I... I can’t let you get away with this.

Hisonora crossed his arms, a smirk still on his face. He was staying calm on the surface, but I could tell by the way his eyes were darting around the room in terror that he hadn’t expected to be blamed for this.

“... I...” Hisonora then laughed nervously. “Fuck.”

Masa was the first to yell at him. “You... you did this to me?! How could you?!”

“Now, hold on a second, lemme explain.” Hisonora spoke quickly, almost instantly dropping his facade. “I only knocked you out because I needed something from Umon and you wouldn’t let me inside.”

“What the...” Masa couldn’t make heads or tails of this. “WHY?! You could’ve just told me Umon had something of yours! I would’ve helped you get it back!”

“Yeah, no you wouldn’t have...” Hisonora scratched his neck. “Considering I needed the rope.”

... Oh.

Oh _no_.

“You...” Kane addressed the topic lightly. “You needed... the rope?”

“You mean the rope you tied around his hands?” Motosuki asked. “The rope I _questioned that you had?!”_

“... Suddenly, this is beginning to make more sense.” To my surprise, it was Kenjiro who said that. “After all, D-002 said he undid Umon’s restraints, but he never mentioned what the restraints were. Hiso tied Umon’s legs together too, so D-002 just had to cut those away and he could pretend it was his hands.”

Umon chuckled, as if to confirm that fact.

“So, let me piece this together.” I made sure everyone was up to speed. “Hiso knocked out Masa around the corner from Umon’s room. Then, he went into Umon’s room and retrieved the rope from around Umon’s wrists.”

“The kick in the door...” Osen added. “It must’ve happened after D-002 got Umon’s legs untied. Perhaps Umon even did it as he was leaving the room, to add to the confusion.”

“But, wait!” Cho piped up again. “Why did Hiso need the rope...?”

That was going to be the hard part. After all, the rope... it had been used in Kukiko’s murder, right? That meant Hisonora had...

Had he... done what I thought he had?

Hisonora, once again, laughed. “Oh, boy, how do I explain this...? See... I...”

Kenjiro coughed.

... There was something putrid in the air. Like tenseness amplified. Hisonora’s smile seemed false as Kenjiro looked downwards.

“I’ve... uh...” Hisonora rasped his fingers against the booth. “Let’s just say... I came to my senses, and I gave the rope to someone else. Leave it at that.”

“You know we can’t leave it there,” I replied. “Hiso, what were you planning to do with the rope?”

Hisonora’s smile faded.

“What do you think, Yoriko?”

I gulped.

Looks like this trial wasn’t over yet...

**TRIAL- INTERMISSION**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 22nd Birthday to Taihen Atlas (7th December!)
> 
> I would like to issue a warning, starting here- the next half of this trial will focus a bit more on a pretty heavy subject. If you are easily triggered by this subject, I want you to know that I mean no ill intent, and hope you understand that everything I write is purely subjective and not an indication of what I want people to think.
> 
> Other than that, I really hope you've been enjoying the novel so far!
> 
> \- Joseph


	19. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL PART 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIDENCE:  
D-FILE: “The Victim is Kukiko Tezuka. They were found in the Grand Room’s Hallway at approximately 2:00pm. The cause of death is asphyxiation via a broken neck.”
> 
> SPECIAL HINT: The Killer is Left-Handed. 
> 
> CONTRAPTION: A rope, which is looped up through climbing hooks, appears connected to the bear trap. When the bear trap went off, it caused the rope to hang whoever was trapped in it. However, it doesn’t appear to have any way to do that...
> 
> ITEMS USED: A Bear trap, a Rope and Climbing Hooks were used in the contraption; these items have not been found anywhere else in the facility up until this point.
> 
> YORIKO’S AUTOPSY: A rope was used to break Kukiko’s neck. Kukiko’s leg was trapped in a bear trap upon finding her. It is yet to be discovered if either of these things are correlated.
> 
> MOTOSUKI’S ALIBI: After leaving the butterfly farm, Motosuki claims that Kukiko’s leg got caught in the bear trap. He ran off to try and get help, finding Hirota and Cerberus, but when they went to find something to free her Kukiko was then hanging like that. Motosuki never saw the set up.
> 
> KENJIRO’S PREDICTION: Kenjiro ‘knows’ that the killer is part of the Shadow, as they have the sort of mental prowess to do this sort of kill. Of course, Kenjiro will not say who it is for fear of being targeted by them.
> 
> MASA’S CONDITION: Masa was found unconscious in the hallway after having her head hit by a violent force. The door has been cracked from where a foot hit it, meaning it may have been the weapon used.
> 
> HIROTA’S/CERBERUS’ ALIBI: the pair claims to have been hanging out when Motosuki asked for help. While Hirota says she ran to find people but couldn’t find anyone, Cerberus claims that he found Masa unconscious and decided to help her instead.  
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**DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL PART 2**

Hisonora kept laughing nervously as we all looked at him with fear.

“Hisonora... please don’t tell me you did this.” Sun-Sing hugged herself. “I... I don’t understand! Why would you?”

“... No comment.” Hisonora crossed his arms, smirking. “To be honest, I... I haven’t been in my right mind for a while. Change of medication and all.”

“Change of... What?” Osen’s eye widened. “W-Wait! So those pills I saw you taking--”

“Yeah, not flu tablets.” Hisonora removed a suspicious looking bottle from his front pocket. “Truth is... I’ve had really severe depression for half my life. I have to take pills in order to keep myself happy- well, happier than wanting to put a bullet in my head.”

I gulped. This... had turned into a difficult situation.

“But, yeah...” Hisonora chuckled sadly to himself. “This stuff’s supposed to dampen bad thoughts while retaining any sort of personality I have. Issue is, I don’t even exactly remember what kind of personality I had before the depression, so I guess ‘idiot’ is the word here...”

Hirota looked around sheepishly. “So... Hiso take pill, make happy?”

“About right, yeah.” Hisonora pocketed the pill bottle. “I didn’t take them for a few hours before the body discovery announcement, and I guess that was enough to send me to the sad world.”

It was obvious that Hisonora was desperately claw his way above his feelings, even now. In that short duration he wasn’t himself, Hisonora had done things he hadn’t wanted to do. Or, maybe he had, and the pills were forcing him to be someone else.

I didn’t really want to talk about it, but I found myself deep into a new discussion.

“We really don’t need to talk about this...” Sun-Sing mentioned. “Can’t we just drop it? Please?”

“Unfortunately not...” It was Hiso himself that made that point. “After all, I didn’t feel like I was in control of my own actions during that time. Maybe I did something I forgot?”

“Well, in that case we’ll need to go over what you remember,” Osen correctly identified. “Hiso, you need to explain everything you remember today.”

“Everything?” He replied, raising an eyebrow. “Well, if we start this morning, I woke up after our sleepover to the sound of the motive announcement. Then, after the whole thing with Umon, I used **my rope** to tie him up...”

“Hold it!” I slammed my podium. “Wait, the rope is yours? Like, you’ve had it on you since the beginning?”

“Yeah.” Hisonora shrugged. “Guess that explains something about me, huh?”

“At any given point, you were...” Akako had to physically stop herself by gagging. It was clear what she was going to say though; at any given point, Hisonora was planning to end his own life.

However, he did give us leeway into a new topic- a topic of where we could deter away from the ideas of suicide and to the Items Used.

“So, that’s where the rope came from,” I said quickly. “However, that doesn’t extend to the climbing hooks and the bear trap.”

“Sun-Sing does an inventory on the weapons room every night.” Motosuki felt it clear to mention that, for some reason. “So she’d know if there was stuff like that in it, right?”

Sun-Sing nodded. “There was never anything like that in it.”

“Well, there’s only one person who can provide such items,” Umon looked in the robot’s direction. “And that’s D-002. Clearly, he must’ve provided someone with the bear trap and climbing hooks.”

“And THAT is where you’re wrong!” Suddenly, D-002 yelled out with robotic joy. “Because I never gave out climbing hooks! Granted, the Bear Trap was me; I handed it over with little effort!”

...

That was a lie. D-002 wouldn’t do that.

“D-002, what exactly did you ask for in return?” I asked him.

“Why must I tell you that?!” D-002 crossed his arms like a child. “After all, I am not bound to your rules! I don’t need to tell the truth all the time!”

Hisonora smiled then. “But you do have to tell the truth when it’s asked of you, don’t you?”

D-002 flinched. “E-Excuse me?”

“A few days before, you mentioned something a little fishy.” Hisonora played with his rat’s tail. “You said to me, and I quote, ‘I can never tell a lie if I’m directed to’.”

D-002 made the audience gasp. “To my surprise, the big guy has brains! Yes, I’m required to tell the truth as cryptically as possible in order to keep the game interesting!”

“What did you trade for the bear trap?” Hisonora repeated. “Because, I have a sneaking suspicion of something.”

D-002 hummed. “You tell me what that is first, and I’ll abscond.”

Cho made a confused face as Hisonora laughed to himself.

“I have a feeling...” Hisonora’s eyes flicked to someone I didn’t see. “That if you tell the truth- the evil tin can of despair- then _they_ will be forced to speak it, too.”

D-002 slammed his hands together. “Oh, I like that trade! Okay then! I’ll tell you that I gave the bear trap on the condition that the person I gave it to was present in the room of the trap going off when it happened!”

There was no amount of pain in the world that could describe the heartbreak I felt in that moment.

Because in that moment, I snapped onto whom the killer actually was.

Hisonora, however, didn’t give me a chance to speak up. “Alrighty! So now it should be obvious, right?”

Umon snickered. “Jesus shit, you actually did something good.”

In the heat of the moment, I hadn’t seen it. In the heat of the moment, my suspicion had never even painted them as a suspect.

It had never painted HER as a suspect.

“... The k-killer... is...” I looked in the direction of the blue coat. “... Hirota?”

Hirota, coincidentally, looked back in my direction. “What need?”

I swallowed. No, this wasn’t right. It couldn’t be right. Hirota was far too nice. Far too kind. She couldn’t kill anyone.

... No, it wasn’t that she couldn’t. It was the fact that she’d convinced everyone she couldn’t. It was the fact that, even as I stared into the dazzling red eyes and rosy-cheeked smile, my opinion of her was twisting.

“Hirota...” I steeled my will. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

“What mean?” Hirota tilted her head. “I not understand. You say it me, but not what I do?”

Cho looked to me with fear in her face. “W-Wait... are you saying it was Hirota who killed Kukiko?”

“... Wait.” Hirota heard that, her face dropping. “You say... I kill Kukiko?”

“I’m not exactly saying it...” I scratched my nail, getting nervous. “I’m just... saying it could’ve been. I mean, it was either you, Motosuki or Cerberus, and I’m not blaming Motosuki based on his alibi alone.”

“Cool, dude.” Motosuki rolled his thumbs over each other. “And since Cerberus was on the other side of the facility...”

“But! No!” Hirota looked around, scared. “If I kill Kukiko, there not thing to say I do! Why I blame for?”

Through her broken speech, I could hear a twinge of guilt.

Looks like the trial wasn’t over yet as we flew into a new discussion.

“I not understand!” Hirota continued. “Please... tell how I do it? I not know.”

“Well, considering Motosuki is innocent and Cerberus is far more entitled to his alibi, I think it’s fair to assume...” Akako poked her fingers together. “I-I don’t want to blame you, Hirota...”

“I not know why blame, though!” Hirota kept going, either feigning ignorance or really not understanding why we were blaming her. “I not see Kukiko all day! See Motosuki, he tell Kukiko trapped- No find any to help... That truth!”

Kane sucked air through his teeth. “If it was Hirota, wouldn’t she need to be present when the person was trapped in the trap?”

“That’s true,” Osen stammered. “She’d need to be in the room with Motosuki and Kukiko, but **she ran off to get help**, right?”

I shook my head. “That’s... just not true.”

“How do you suspect that?” Sun-Sing eyed me.

“Well, it’s because of the contraption itself.” I flicked to the ‘Contraption’ hint with a little bit of urgency- I was aware we were running out of time. “After all, it clearly says ‘When the bear trap went off, it caused the rope to hang whoever was trapped in it.’”

“And again...” Hisonora backed me up. “The evidence has no false leads.”

“B-But...” Cho spluttered. “That means this thing about Hirota going to find help is true too!”

I read the clue more closely. “Actually, it doesn’t say she did- it says that she SAYS she did. Which means... she could’ve lied.”

Hirota whimpered. “But I... no... I not know what happen. I not know what going on...”

It was hard. Hirota looked genuinely afraid right now, something I hadn’t seen on the face of someone getting blamed for murder before. If Hirota really had done this, she was acting incredibly well to keep the others off her tail.

... Acting.

ACTING.

Suddenly, that word appeared in block letters across the front of my vision, figuratively. Acting- That’s all this was. This was an act. An act of terror, of innocence.

Just like... him.

I turned to Kenjiro. “Ken, I need to ask you a favour.”

Kenjiro simply looked over at me, his eye swirling with indifference.

“You said in your proposal that you ‘knew’ the person who committed murder was Shadow.” I looked back to Hirota, who was shivering intensely. “... So tell me.”

“Tell you what?” He replied, that emotionless voice hitting my ears like a blizzard. “I’m not inclined to tell you anything.”

“... Correct. You don’t.” I replied, smirking to myself. “But your tone of voice indicates you’ve already given me the answer.”

With that, a final discussion began. At least, the last discussion I felt would be necessary.

“Are...” Umon widened his eyes, smiling confusedly at me. “Are you telling me you think that pathetic excuse of a girl is a Shadow? Please! I wouldn’t save Hirota in a house fire!”

Kenjiro stayed quiet. Kane, however, went vocal. “Hirota... if she was a Shadow, she’d be more than _experienced_ of doing something like this, right?”

Since Osen was stood next to Hisonora, I got to see his face change in confusion when she began speaking. “But the Shadow is directly against committing murder. Yuno only did it to defend herself from... C-Chuu.”

“Why I not am in this talk?” Hirota spoke suddenly. “I... I not get it! You all... blame... for something I not do... I not understand.”

Motosuki pinched his nose. “It can’t NOT be you, though...”

“But I not strong!” Hirota wrung her hands. “I not fast! I not even know room had bad thing! I not killer! I not Shadow! **I not see Murder**!”

“... Hang on a second.” I paused her before pointing at Kane. “Kane... I need you to repeat what you said. About being a Shadow.”

“Huh?” Kane seemed confused, but relented. “I just said that I think you’d need to be experienced in murder to be one, is all. Was I wrong?”

“No... actually, I think you’ve helped me understand something I didn’t before.” I twirled my hair around my finger as I tested my memory. “After all, despite Yuno being attacked by Chuu from behind, she was able to defend herself without getting injured by him.”

“So you’re saying that you think the Shadow are people experienced in murder and killing...” Umon snickered. “I can’t believe how WRONG you really--”

“You’re correct.”

Kenjiro, without letting Umon finish, interrupted. It made the circus performer’s eye twitch as Kenjiro took a deep breath in and continued.

“The Shadow are people who are willing to do whatever it takes to stop killing. They are trained to be able to set up whatever is necessary to do this.” Kenjiro’s emotionless voice echoed the room. “However, to get into the mindset of a Shadow, you need to be able to think like a killer would. Thus...”

Umon growled. “Finish that sentence, and you’ll regret it.”

Kenjiro did pause for a second. But only for a second.

“I... have killed people.” He just said it like it was an everyday occurrence. “I have felt despair of loss, over and over again. But when those things weigh on you, you become a shell of your former self. A husk. To some, that sounds like the perfect way out of humanity. To the Shadow... it’s a defence mechanism. The ability to never feel Despair is something we thrive on.”

“In exchange for never feeling anything at all.”

My eyes immediately scanned across the room... and landed right on who I suspected said it.

“I...” Hirota looked at her gloved hands. “I miss... emotion. I miss being able to say I was sorry for doing things I regretted.”

“Hirota!” Sun-Sing gasped. “You’re... speaking perfect Japanese...”

“Yes.” Hirota pulled back her hood, finally revealing her snow white locks of hair that curled down her head like a dancing snowstorm. “I speak eighteen languages, as a matter of fact. English, Spanish, German... Icelandic.”

Umon growled. “You FOOL! You gave yourself away, you stupid bitch!”

“Like you care.” Hirota rubbed her hands together. “Like any of us care. That’s how a Shadow works, remember...?”

Kenjiro, out of the corner of my eye, gave her a small smile. The kind that I knew for a fact could only occur when someone’s plan had gone swimmingly.

Looks like Umon was the only Shadow who really cared about what he stood for anymore.

“... It was me.” Hirota looked up, looking around the room with tears in her eyes. “I killed Kukiko. I admit it, I admit it, I admit it!”

D-002 buzzed a buzzer. “And like that, the trial comes to an end! Please, will you all place your votes--”

“Hold on a second, D-84,000.” Hisonora shushed him with a finger. “Hirota, if it’s not too much to ask... why? Why would you commit murder? I thought you said you were cool with letting your family die...”

“And why wouldn’t I be?” She replied coldly. For the first time, the word ‘cold’ was being used literally- she was nothing more than a glacier in her attitude towards us, her eyes falling gently to look like she was upset. “They may have gotten me my talent, but they all severely abused me to no end. They hated each other- and me- for being different.”

Umon tutted, simply turning his back on us all as Hirota continued.

“I was the only Albino born in my family’s history!” She suddenly gained a bit of traction in her voice. “The only one over the course of two hundred years! Of course my father was suspicious he wasn’t my father! And that caused arguments. Caused sleepless nights of waiting for my father to whip me with his belt, and being yelled at for being the mistake that cost my mother her ‘happy marriage’!”

Motosuki mumbled to himself. “I think you’re pretty hot...”

“So they shipped me off!” She waved wildly with her hands. “Shipped me off to some remote location out in the arctic to be cared for by idiots with no parenting skills. My life has being a travesty, and I was born into this world _willingly! _At least my family CARED about each other before I was considered an option!”

Even as she yelled, Hirota didn’t shed a single tear. She didn’t yell, didn’t cry- she simply spoke slightly louder than usual.

Hisonora then spoke. “Wait, I get it... The bear trap, the climbing hooks, the rope... They’re all things you’re experienced with. Climbing hooks to scale mountains, Bear traps to catch prey... and rope to snare them, right?”

“So all she’d need to do was set it up... Like she always did.” Sun-Sing bit her lip. “Back when she was in the Arctic... Back when she’d have to defend for herself and hunt and climb and...”

“When the ice cracked below me, and I fell in...” Hirota continued. “I took the entire research team with me. I... I drowned them. I drowned them all. My only other family now lay dead at the bottom of the North Pole’s frozen waste.”

“And that’s when I found her,” Umon added, not looking back. “She’d walked the entirety of the North Pole back to different team, and was flown to Japan for medical care. We met in the hospital.”

“And the rest is history,” She finished. “Now, Yoriko... it’s you that usually sums it up with these stupid finishing lines, isn’t it? Go ahead and end this for me. Now.”

Despite the demand being so cold, I couldn’t help but feel a feeling of pleading behind it. It was like Hirota was already ready to die.

With a deep breath...

_I did as I was told._

**...**

“The victim of this case was Kukiko Tezuka. To be honest, this trial was confusing, but I think I can explain it however I can.”

“So, we need to start at a point I didn’t expect- the point of Masa’s knock out, which was performed by Hisonora. He did it to collect the rope from around Umon’s wrist. I don’t want to go into detail about what he was going to do with it, but all I can assume is that he came to his senses and, in his own words, handed it off to someone else.”

“That someone was our killer. I don’t know if she’d been planning to do this for a while, or had gotten the idea to do it immediately after, but she decided to commit murder at some point that day.”

“Our killer decided to turn to D-002 for help. He relented, giving her a Bear Trap- one of the three items used in this kill’s contraption- and said that she would have to be present when the trap went off. The Grand Hall was her choice at that point; the wide open space was big enough that she could be considered in it as long as she was still there.”

“The set up would’ve been simple for her- as the Arctic Researcher, the killer was experienced in setting up traps to catch animals for her to snare. It wouldn’t even need an activator, if she knew how to condition the rope correctly.”

“Cerberus decided to join the blackened at some point. She clearly used this to her advantage as her victim got trapped easily, and Motosuki was the unfortunate witness to it. As he ran to our killer to get help, the trap activated, snapping Kukiko’s neck just as planned.”

“If it was not for a loophole that Hiso used, or if it wasn’t for Cerberus’ ability to explain himself out of the hole I thought he’d dug, the killer would’ve gotten away with it.”

“My name is Yoriko Ito! And today, Hirota Hatsune, you have been bested by the minds of this trial room! Your illusion of innocence is shattered!”

**TRIAL END- PLACE YOUR VOTES.**


	20. CHAPTER 2- THE SHADOW'S INFLUENCE BECKONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- TRIAL AFTERMATH/EPILOGUE

**TRIAL- AFTERMATH**

Like last time, the screen showed sixteen pixelated figures. However, like Chuu last time, Yuno and Kukiko were greyed out, leaving only the people who could be voted for. This time around, twelve votes voted for Hirota, the obvious killer.

A single vote voted for Umon. I guessed it might’ve been Hirota.

“Well done, students!” D-002 hopped up, pointing to the sky. “You got it correct! The killer was indeed... Hirota Hatsune!”

At his voice, the voting screen instead showed the full body of Hirota, who did the same little two-sprite wave that Yuno’s had done.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an execution to plan out! Allow me to leave you behind a second...” D-002 headed out for a bit, ready to do as he said. The podiums fell and we were all allowed freedom.

Instantly, Motosuki charged Umon. Umon didn’t even see him coming as he swung forwards with a mighty fist, also added to by his rings.

Umon went down like a sack of flour. Masa questioned his reason.

Motosuki simply shrugged. “Vibe Check. Now, onto you!”

Motosuki grabbed Hirota by the coat, clearly angry with her. “You motherfucker! Why did you do it?!”

“I...” Hirota, for a second, sounded like she was about to go back into her fake speech pattern, but she relented from it. “I was told to.”

“Told to?!” He yelled back. “By WHO?!”

Kenjiro stepped in. “And my theory is correct.”

“What?” Motosuki looked at him. “What are you talking about, bro?”

Kenjiro made Motosuki let go of Hirota as he explained. “You see... There are different variants of Shadow in this world. Hirota... she believes what authority says is law. Having been pulled out of Despair by another Shadow, she didn’t gain the same benefits I did.”

Hirota huffed. “Until Kenjiro met me in the corridor after the discovery.”

“... You knew?” Osen correctly guessed. “You knew it was her, this whole time?”

“I’m sorry to keep it a secret, but this was a necessary silence,” He explained. “After all, it was all so our plan could finally be fulfilled...”

“P-Plan... What plan?!” Akako shakily crossed one arm over her chest. “Are you gonna torture us all for continuing to play the game...?”

Kenjiro growled. “Of course not. Unlike Umon, I feel no desire to hurt any of you.”

“You don’t feel anything at all.”

Suddenly, Umon was getting back to his feet, blood pouring from the indents where Motosuki had punched him. “You think you can stop this by yourself, you pawn?! You worked for me for eight. YEARS. You can’t just abandon the person who made you this way!”

Hirota threw her hood back over her hair. Sure enough, his words seemed to affect the pair- Kenjiro took a more meaningful stance while Hirota cuddled into herself.

“I have never met bigger failures!” Umon barked at them, spittle flying from his mouth in rage. His eyes twisted with a red glow as he roared at them. “Two damn stains on the Shadow’s record!”

Cho hid her face in Masa’s dress while Umon was screaming.

“Damn Hirota... I was more than happy to let you go!” Umon screamed. “If you hadn’t been found out like the complete waste of space you are, I would’ve happily laid down my life, but you failed me! AGAIN AND AGAIN YOU FAIL ME!”

Hirota stammered out a sorry, but Kenjiro tried to stop her. “Hirota, don’t listen to him--”

“And YOU!” Umon screeched, pointing at Kenjiro in turn. “I bet you feel sooo good about yourself, don’t you?! Trying to scheme against me! Against US! You’re going to BURN!”

Around then is when I noticed Hirota going for something inside her coat.

“You’re ALL going to burn!” He continued, pointing at all of us with a gradually reddening face. “I’m going to make you all burn, even if I have to pull you all limb from limb with my BARE. FUCKING. HANDS!”

Around then is when D-002 walked back in. “Right! It’s time for--”

And then... a single gunshot echoed the room.

It had been... too quick. I hadn’t seen who fired the gun- I hadn’t seen which way the bullet had come from. All I know is in the next moment...

Umon was coughing up blood, a hand flying to his stomach. “W-What?”

“That’ll be enough out of you.” Kane patted his pocket down. “Sorry, Umon... but I’m afraid you’re scaring the children.”

“K-Kane...” Umon dropped to one knee. “Y-You... S-Shot me?”

Kane looked away as Kenjiro and Hirota stood either side of him. “Sorry, dear friend... but I cannot let you take control of this killing game.”

On the faintest corner of my mouth, a smirk surfaced.

Looks like we’d found the last Shadow.

“K-Kane...” Umon coughed another lungful of blood. “My... dearest... ally... my right hand man... you...”

“If there’s one failure to the Shadow, it’s you.” Kane took a powerful stance. “You have forgotten what we stand for. We were never evil. We were simply willing to do whatever it took.”

“I-I am!” Umon reached out to him. “I’m... trying to stop...”

“But not like this.” Kane seemed to figure out what he was about to say. “It was NEVER like this. Thanks to you... someone far more innocent than you if going to die.”

“Then allow me...” Hirota suddenly removed a single climbing hook from her coat, whacking it against her hand like a pipe. “Let’s only lose three lives today. After all... if he was to bleed out, there would be a fourth.”

Kane took a step back, as did Kenjiro. Hirota walked over to Umon, who looked up at her with an angry, angry expression.

“W-Worthless... You’ve always been... so worthless...”

“Bitter to the end...” Hirota twirled her climbing hook so the sharp end stuck towards his throat. “Here... let me give you a reason to hate me.”

... I don’t exactly know how to describe what happened next. I don’t know if what she did was right, or wrong, or even worth it. But Umon... he had tried to rule over the facility using fear, and had failed in more ways than one.

And yet now... I felt sorry for him. Hirota didn’t give him any chance to come back from it- she began stabbing him, over, and over, and over and over and over until his body was riddled with holes and his face was an indescribable mush.

There was no better way to put it then... he was dead.

“... Fuck me...” Motosuki exclaimed. Hirota looked to him, covered in blood and guts from her work. “Guess you were insane after all...”

Suddenly, a smile emerged on Hirota’s face. It was the same smile she’d worn day in and day out- now only covered in blood, and ten times as terrifying.

“We are the Shadow.” She spoke in a soft voice, having finished her work here on Earth. “We do not feel emotion. We wear masks to pretend we’re someone we’re not. We have fallen from grace to become creatures of the night.”

Kenjiro looked away, closing his eyes as a chain flew around her torso.

“And yet, now...” Hirota was being dragged away, but she was fighting it for as long as she possibly could. “I feel satisfied. Satisfied that you all stood with me... Satisfied that I could call some of you my friends.”

Osen hid her eyes. She couldn’t watch.

“I’ll see you soon, I suppose... I’ll tell Yuno you said hello.” Hirota gave a small giggle. “At least it’ll be hot in hell.”

And like that... she flew behind the curtain.

**(Execution music: ** [ **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKdjSUEHaJ0** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKdjSUEHaJ0) **)**

**(Full Credit goes to Myuu!)**

When the screen turned on to reveal a snowy cottage, I didn’t exactly expect much. It did zoom in on Hirota, who sat inside with a pleasant smile on her face. She rocked in the chair she was tied to, either antsy or just waiting for her death to come.

Like Yuno, however, she was crying slightly. The tears that dripped from her eyes were like dazzling jewels as they splashed on the floor around her, lit in the candlelight.

The chimney went out, and with it, so did the lights. The title card dug its way out of the snow.

**HIROTA’S EXECUTION- JOY TO THE WORLD**

It was a completely silent execution. Suddenly, the snowstorm outside got too powerful- the windows broke in on themselves, paving the room with a white carpet of snow. Hirota didn’t even try to move as it slowly filled the cabin and everything in it with a block of white powder.

Hirota smiled at the camera as the snow reached her neck in mere minutes. It wasn’t that she was just going to suffocate- it was the fact she was going to suffocate under the very thing she had made a living off studying. It only took a few moments for Hirota’s face to be completely smothered by the thick, white snow.

The final shot was of the cabin as the camera zoomed out from where it lay in the snowstorm, completely untouched from the outside world as the insides spilled out into the frost.

**EXECUTION EXECUTED SUCESSFULLY.**

In her final moments... I’ll pretend I didn’t see Hirota mouth ‘thank you’.

To my surprise, it wasn’t Kane or Kenjiro or Hiso or Sun-Sing who broke the silence- it was Akako, whose face was pale as a sheet.

Or the snow that had... no, as a sheet. Don’t think about the execution.

“I... I liked her.” She said it so suddenly, that I’d completely forgotten that Akako was supposed to be the Tsundere of us all. “She was nice to me. Didn’t push her boundaries... made me hot chocolate, sometimes...”

“Y-Yuno, too... It can’t be coincidence, right?” Osen looked up at us. “They were both so friendly, even though they...”

Kenjiro suddenly marched out. While we’d been talking, the room had returned to the top of the room, letting us escape the Technicolor nightmare of the Game Room. Cerberus walked out after him, and Akako chased him, yelling his name. Motosuki looked to me as if to give me a silent ‘thank you’, just like Hirota had.

Hisonora tutted as Sun-Sing walked over to him. She gave him an almost violent look, her eye twitching, before they left to probably have the most awkward talk of their life. Masa took Cho by the hand and led her out as well.

That just left Osen and I. I looked to her, wondering what she needed from me.

“Yoriko... We need to talk later, okay?” Osen said quietly, motioning with her eyes to D-002 who was still sitting in the room. “You know what about.

I sighed.

I didn’t doubt that she wanted my head over coming out of the hidden room.

Perhaps she wanted entrance into it. Perhaps she needed closure. As Osen left me alone, I felt my face light up in anger once more.

Damn it.

Why did it have to be like this...?

**...**

**EPILOGUE**

“Look... Bro.”

Kenjiro sighed, leaning facewards against the wall of the canteen. Motosuki was behind him, trying to get through to him, but it was clear it wasn’t working.

“Please, just... listen, bro!” Motosuki yelled. “I get that you’re part of this weird group, but you don’t need to... you know, be like this!”

“How many times do I have to explain it to you?” Kenjiro turned back to him. “Just... please... I’m dangerous. I don’t want to get you hurt.”

“You’re fine with me!” Motosuki replied. “Don’t be stupid. You’re my friend... Dare I even say, you’re one of the better ones I’ve ever had!”

“Why feel that way about me?” He replied. “I... I’m not the nicest person. I’m just... me.”

“Don’t feel ‘me’ to me.” Motosuki suddenly torn his chain off. “Look here, Ken. See this chain?”

Kenjiro looked at it. “What about it?”

“This is literally my favourite chain.” He shook it about, and suddenly tossed it over his shoulder, not looking where it went. “And there it goes. Because now I’m happier to be with you than I am with that stupid thing.”

Kenjiro waited for around five seconds.

“... Go pick up the chain--”

“Thank you.” Motosuki rushed over and grabbed it. “My mom made it for me before she died.”

“Look, Motosuki...” Kenjiro finally walked forwards, meeting with Motosuki. “I get what you’re trying to accomplish, but... I’m afraid that this isn’t my choice. If I fall out of line, I’ll be punished.”

“By who?!” Motosuki extending his arms outwards. “Motherfucker, Umon is paste now! Unless Kane is gonna take over for him, you’re safe!”

“Not when we escape.”

Motosuki growled. “Please, Kenjiro--”

“I’m leaving.” Kenjiro did as he says, just walking out without saying goodbye. Motosuki wondered if he should follow, but realised that Akako would probably be on him when she saw him.

There’s not much Kenjiro could do now.

They’d make him human again... one day at a time.

**CHAPTER 2 END**

**11 STUDENTS REMAINING- THE GAME CONTINUES.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Kenjiro Yoshimitsu (9th December!)
> 
> \- Joseph


	21. INTERMISSION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

_"I'm on my way. Just calm down... take it slow."_

I sat in the crashed car, looking in terror at the taxi driver's blown out forehead. Someone had shot him from the front. Someone had killed him.

Suddenly, another gunshot caused me to scream and get down behind the car seat.

Now, someone was trying to kill me.

_"Calm down! Calm down, Sun-Sing!" _On the other end of the phone was my saviour, who was apparently on his way. _"I'm coming, girl! Hold on."_

Calm down? How could I calm down?! Someone was shooting at me! Someone was trying to kill me! How could he expect me to CALM DOWN over this?!

I tucked my head down, trying to listen to his voice. "Please don't find me, Please don't find me, Please don't find me..."

Who was I joking? I was trapped in the car. There was only one place I'd be if the shooter tried his luck. I just had to try and run for it. There was no way I was getting out without him seeing me, anyway.

With a deep breath, I put my hand on the door handle, pushing it open. He must've predicted that because the second I did the window shattered above my head. All I could really do was start by putting my foot down onto the pavement.

Instantly, a bullet hit my foot, and I collapsed to the floor in agony. My scream echoed the trees to my right, giving full indication they'd landed their shot. Almost instantly, they tossed their rifle into the trees and stormed towards me from behind as I tried to scramble to my feet. I couldn't fight back as a large, strong grabbed me around the neck, pinning me to the floor and causing me to cough when I got winded.

The guy now holding me down was definitely someone who knew me. His eyes glistened evilly as he pushed me down with his boot instead of his hand, digging a steel-capped boot into my chest.

"Well, well, well..." He leant on his knee. "If it isn't the worst of the female 14-B survivors. Where did you think you were running off too?"

I struggled. There was absolutely no way I was escaping this man... He was far too strong, and I was weak to begin with. All I could do was begin crying as he removed a revolver from his back pocket, loading a single bullet into the cylinder.

The issue was... I knew this man. I knew him all too well.

"J-Jesse..." I tried prying the foot away from my chest. "P-Please... Don't..."

"Please don't what?" He snickered, giving me insane looking eyes. "Don't do the very thing I've done for a living my entire fucking life? Someone's giving me a fuck ton of cash for your death. Not exactly sure who... but you'll be meeting them if they double cross me."

It was probably just my imagination, but I did see an ounce of guilt in his eye as he flashed that bullet had my name on it.

"But this is just business, I'm afraid..." Jesse pointed the gun at my face. "See you in hell."

"TELL EM WHO SENT YOU!"

Out of nowhere, A motorbike revved and Jesse looked straight up to see someone fly towards him. The bike drove straight past both of us, but the rider had used a steel bat and sent my would-be assassin flying across the pavement before skidding to a halt at the suddenly parked bike.

If you had seen the one driving it, you would've probably seen them off as a thug.

However, Taihen was nothing but a friend.

"Jesse Fucking Williams!" Taihen put his bike in neutral. "Ultimate Gunslinger, on the run for eighteen months! Kaiyo's been asking after you!"

Before Jesse could get an idea of what was going on, Taihen did the same thing to Jesse, putting a well-polished shoe on his chest. Jesse looked up at Taihen before getting clubbed again.

"Now I can tell her! Back in the asylum." Taihen flipped his unconscious body over with his foot. "Fucking dipshit."

"T-Taihen..." I got to my feet, almost collapsing into him with a hug. "Y-You actually came... You..."

"Hey, baby, watch the threads." He chuckled as he pulled me away. "Come on... I'll take you to my place. Get you patched up... I've already called the asylum to get Jesse back in his cell. They'll probably up his medication."

Taihen pulled me onto his bike, a spare helmet being handed to me as he did.

"Remember... always wear protection," He joked.

"S-Shut up..." I tried my hardest not to laugh.

And like that... we were off. Down the highway. Back to where it had all started. Back to where I'd had my child.

Back to where I'd lost my child.

Back to where I'd abandoned them all...

Back to where I'd abandon them again.

**END**


	22. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 9

**DAY 9**

I was having difficulties breathing that night.

I guess my arrhythmia was acting up. I could feel my heart beating like a drum, but far too out of beat. I was forcing myself to breathe.

It was when I heard a knock at the door that I actually felt myself hold an actual tone to my heart. I got up, deeply breathing and pushing open my door.

“Yoriko.” I smiled, happy to see him as he came into the room. “How did you sleep...?”

“I didn’t,” He replied in a cheerful tone. “But I did find something that you might want to see.”

I turned to him as he removed something from a duffel bag. How long had he been carrying the bag? I hadn’t noticed it on him before. I walked over, cautious, and found that he was taking out some sort of... chip.

Not, like an edible one. It was the kind that you’d find in machinery; an AI chip, one that would allow the machine to come alive. He nodded at me as I looked at him in confusion.

“W-What is it?” I asked.

“It’s not ‘what’- it’s ‘who’.” Yoriko put the chip away. “By my regard, I think this might belong to someone important.”

“... What do you mean by important...?” I shakily asked. “As in, do you think it would be our way out?”

“Well, no...” Yoriko clicked his fingers at me. “But at the same time, I think we could use it as leverage. All it would take is for us to figure out what’s inside and we’ll be on the home stretch.”

“Y-Yeah...”

“Alright, come on.” Yoriko motioned for me to follow. “We need to go to the canteen. Kane wants to talk to us about something...”

“Wait, Kane?” I stopped him. “What do you think he wants to talk about?”

“Probably something about the Shadow, right?” Yoriko shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, I was only there for the first part. Kane just appears to be gathering students in the canteen... I’m sure you can probably figure it out from there.”

With that conversation out of the way, we walked together towards the canteen, going past all the other rooms and into the canteen. Sure enough, Kane was standing at the front of the room this time with Kenjiro stood to his left. He was waiting patiently for us to arrive, meaning that we’d been the last two to actually make it.

Kane cleared his throat as I took my seat. “Hello, everyone. I’m sure you’re all... well, less interested, and more afraid of what I have to say. But today, I wish to tell you all about the Shadow.”

I heard a groan come from Cho. “Shadow, Shadow, Shadow! That’s all we hear about!”

Masa shushed her. “Come on, Cho. Maybe he’s about to tell us what’s going on. Now that Umon’s dead... you guys don’t have to worry about it, right?”

Kane nodded. Much like Kenjiro had done that one time, his voice was cold and emotionless, his true colours surfacing out of nowhere. “The Shadow is a group of Remnants of Despair that have been mercilessly abused in the opposite direction.”

Kenjiro nodded along. “I was once a remnant of Despair... but the Shadow brought me back. Well... they erased all emotion I could’ve otherwise felt, thus turning me into what I am today. Kane, I believe you went through the same treatment, right?”

“Almost.” Kane put his hands behind his back. “I do retain some memories of my past, so I was able to climb the ranks of the Shadow pretty quickly.”

“Question!” Cho stuck her hand up, now apparently interested. “How many Shadow people are there?”

“Well, there’s two thousand in Japan alone...” Kane thought about it. “And about thirty thousand people in the world. The Despair of the Great Tragedy spread pretty fast past Japan’s borders when Hope’s Peak fell the first time.”

Kenjiro hummed. “The Shadow has been invested in stopping killing games all over the globe for over five years. While Future Foundation was founded on the Hope it could granted those trapped in the killing game, the Shadow have been going straight to the source, and usually attempting to end a killing game before it can even start.”

“I suppose...” Kane tutted. “We failed.”

Motosuki, who’d been sat at the back, put his hands in a prayer and then motioned to them with the tips of his fingers. “Boy.”

Hisonora rasped his fingers on the table. “Okay... so now what? You’re three members down, you’ve failed to stop a kill twice- in fact, your team-mates were directly responsible for both- where do you go from here?”

Kane looked to Kenjiro. Kenjiro looked back with a small shrug. “We... don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Masa repeated. “Then... why have you invited us all here?”

“It was to remind you of our policy.” Kane suddenly went formal. “The Shadow do not exactly beg for assistance from the students... you are on your own.”

With that, Kane left. Kenjiro however, stayed behind, just sighing in defeat.

“Kane feels as though he’s failed you all,” Kenjiro explained. “He was technically in charge of this small group. Umon was never the ‘leader’, nor was he anywhere close. He was more of a scout.”

“He was also the worst person I’ve ever met,” Yoriko quipped. “What’s your point?”

“My point is...” Kenjiro’s voice gained emotion again. “From this day forward... I suppose our little team has disbanded.”

Akako took a deep sigh, one that I sure was felt by everyone. “S-So you’re not insane anymore?”

“He was never insane to being with!” I replied. “He was just... misguided. I’m sure if we work together now, Kenjiro can find his way back to us.”

Kenjiro looked around as everyone agreed with each other. “G-Guys...”

“You’re my bro, Ken!” Motosuki stood up, pointing like he was about to applaud him in a cheesy Rom-Com movie. Sorry, that’s just the rules. You’re my bro, bro.”

“I... wouldn’t mind... getting closer to him...” Akako pouted as her face lit up in blush again. “N-Not because I like him! It’s just because, you know, being his friend might bring him back from being a Shadow and stuff. I bet you were all thinking something really dirty, weren’t you? Well, no. I’m--”

“Oh shut up and kiss already!” Motosuki laughed. That brightened the mood instantly, with Akako and Motosuki getting into a ‘friendly’ argument and Kenjiro just watching in a mixture of confusion and humour.

However, as I looked around at everyone, I realised that Sun-Sing was nowhere to be seen. She must’ve escaped in the confusion. I got up, looking to the others for a brief moment before heading out into the Door Room and through into the Grand Hallway.

I looked up, seeing the staircases had been unlocked. With no reason to wait around, I headed up them, seeing that the new floor had four different rooms, each marked the same as the first floor but with different designs.

One was a stage, one was a shower, one was a paintbrush and one was a... cup? I decided to go for the stage, pushing it open to look into the room.

**(** [ **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c75cOL0G8I** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c75cOL0G8I) **)**

What I received instead was the beautiful voice of someone singing like it was her last day on Earth. They sung with such majesty and volume that for a while, I thought that the person that was singing was the actual singer. I’d actually caught her two seconds in, and the darkness around the stage hid me as I took a seat.

Sun-Sing, as expected, was the girl singing. She was singing ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ by Queen; a mildly ironic song to be belting out due to the situation of the killing game. However, the way she sung was beyond anything I ever expected.

I suppose I should’ve expected it from the Ultimate Opera Singer- Well, Former Ultimate Opera Singer.

As the song began to die down, Sun-Sing’s voice lingered on the last word, and I could see in her eyes that she was crying tears of pure sorrow. I tried to hide myself in the seats but she caught me all the same.

“O-Oh...” She didn’t seem embarrassed- far from it, in fact. She seemed pretty proud she’d gone the entire song without seeing me. “H-How long have you been...?”

“The entire song,” I replied.

“... Ah.” She adjusted the microphone before hopping down, sitting on the stage. “Guess I should’ve expected that.”

“... Your voice is really nice...” My cheeks lit up in blush as I walked over and sat next to her. I was now acutely aware of how pretty Sun-Sing looked in the light of the stage and more so how little attention I’d paid attention to her before. “You should sing more often.”

Sun-Sing smiled sadly. “I... I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Why not...?” I looked up at her. “You’re beautiful- I mean, your voice is beautiful.”

“Yes, well, I kind of fell out of singing.” Suddenly, Sun-Sing did something I didn’t expect- she cradled an invisible child, almost on a whim. When she realised what movement she’d done, she quickly folded her hands into her lap, feeling my gaze on her no doubt. “When I had the kid, I just... forgot to practice. I don’t know if I’m the same as I’ve always been.”

Was she talking about her singing? Of course not. Was I going to tell her to talk about the death of her child? Same answer.

I got up then. “You kind of left in a hurry.”

“I guess I got a bit of a stomach-ache,” Sun-Sing replied. “Kane and Kenjiro... I don’t want to pretend they’re good people. Something is off, with both of them.”

“Guess you’re allowed to be suspicious of them,” I replied. “But for what reason? They don’t seem too bad now that Umon is gone.”

“That’s exactly my point,” she replied out of nowhere. “I don’t get why the death of their apparent ‘scout’ was the turning point for them admitting who they really were. Umon must’ve had a lot more than just their identities...”

“Are you saying... Kane and Kenjiro aren’t in the light just yet?”

Sun-sing smirked. “You catch on quickly.”

We stared at each other for a second. The issue is, I could say the same about her- I don’t think Sun-Sing was shining as bright as she could be. A lot of things were off about her, too; that much was proven when she didn’t blink once while the silence remained.

“Um... you stay safe, okay?” I headed for the door. “I’m gonna go get something to eat.”

Sun-Sing nodded. “You stay safe as well.”

I headed out the door, running straight into someone else. To be honest, I expected Hisonora to appear at some point, so I just waved him past me and went down to the hall.

As I went, though, I heard something I didn’t expect. Hisonora had left the door open, so I got to hear a conversation between the two firsthand.

“Okay... I’ve thought about it,” he told her. “And the answer is still no.”

My footing paused. Suddenly, my nosy side was at full attention, and I found myself creep back to the door and lean next to the doorway.

“What do you mean no?” Sun-Sing seemed toxic as she huffed. “After everything, you’re just going to deny it?”

“Look...” Hisonora was calm, luckily, so the conversation continued without argument. “I’m not going to, simply because I want to be in a situation when I’m not looking over my shoulder every five minutes. Get me?”

Sun-Sing sighed. “I-I get that... but... I... I don’t know if I can wait. I just want to be happy... and you can make me happy.”

...

... Did...

_Did Sun-Sing admit her love to Hisonora?!_

“Sun-Sing, listen.” Hisonora remained calm. “I get that. You want security in your life, that you think I’m the best provider of. But at the end of the day, you need to remember... The pair of us are in a killing game. We shouldn’t fall in love, because... well, because of the chance that one of us will die.”

“But, I don’t get to decide that!” Sun-Sing yelled back. “I don’t get to decide if I’m in love with you... it just happened, Hiso!”

“And I can see that in your face- You’re crying, you’re upset. You think that I don’t get to deny you as easily as this.” Hisonora was... strangely experienced in how women feel. “But I’m not saying this is an absolute no. I’m just saying... I’d rather do this in a situation where we can actually develop it, you know?”

Sun-Sing sniffled. “I... I just...”

“Look... When we escape- not if, _when_\- I’ll be more than happy to take you out to my local cafe and talk about this, alright?” Hisonora’s voice muffled as he talked into Sun-Sing’s hair, giving her a hug. “We’ll make it a date. How’s that sound?”

For a while, Sun-Sing didn’t respond, but she eventually caved and let loose a long, pained sigh.

“Okay. It’s a date.”

“Alright.” Hisonora’s voice returned to normal. “Now, Double S... I believe you wanted to sing for me?”

I smiled gently as I took that as my sign to leave. It was time to leave- I’d heard enough. To be honest, I shouldn’t have been listening in at all; It was kind of a breach of privacy.

After heading down the stairs and into the Door Room, I met with Kenjiro, who was busy pretending he was busy. That’s when I realised something- I hadn’t actually done anything with Kenjiro besides let him change my bandages, and now I didn’t need that done anymore, he’d completely drifted my mind.

I stepped to him. “Hey, Ken... would you like to hang out for a bit?”

Ken responded by humming. “I suppose I’ve got time.”

Time’s all we’ve got here.

**...**

I spent some time discussing medical operations with Kenjiro. I feel like we grew closer that day.

“So, Ken...” I tilted my head. “What does it mean to be an M.D?”

“Well, my title is more of a holding point, to be honest.” Kenjiro had taken me to the medical office so he could make a note on what kinds of pills were being used. “I’m technically the Ultimate Doctor by this point, but because I’m not of the correct age I’m being marked as the Ultimate M.D.”

“You’re... not the correct age?” I will admit, the way he worded it made me confused.

“Simply, I’m not 21 or over. I’m 18, actually.”

“S-So young!” My eyes widened in shock, not expecting such an age. “I mean... I’m nineteen, so I guess I wasn’t expecting someone to be younger than me with such an amazing talent...”

“Says you,” He smirked. “Does ‘Honour Student’ not mean what I think it does?”

I giggle, not used to people complimenting me on my talent. “W-Well... getting straight A’s in every subject doesn’t mean my talent is good.”

“So you’re just really smart?” Kenjiro marks down the last of the pills being used. “I mean, that’s still pretty cool. I was only really good in medical practice, so that’s why I became an M.D.”

I nodded. “I’m still not entirely sure what I want to be... I’ve taken all the basic subjects in Hope’s Peak, so I guess I could be a Historian or Mathematician. I don’t wanna be stuck in a job I don’t love, you know?”

“Some sort of Teacher, perhaps?” Kenjiro crossed his arms.

“An Ultimate Teacher sounds cool,” I responded. “But not for like, other Ultimates... maybe I could teach the Lil’ Ultimates. But that’s for if we get out of here...”

“When, we get out of here.” Kenjiro replied sharply. “We’re going home, Osen. Have faith.”

With that out of the way, I decided to leave Kenjiro to his devices. Walking out of the medical office, I suddenly met with Akako, who nearly rammed into me.

“H-Hey! Watch where-” She stopped herself. “Urgh, whatever.”

I stepped aside. “Sorry.”

“N-No, it’s... ugh!” Akako left hurriedly, clearly not in a good mood. I was tempted to follow her, but decided against it, instead walking down to the Door Room again.

Making it there... I heard crying. I looked around, seeing that Masa was sitting in the very corner of the room, trying to hide in the darkness of the corner. Of course, her snivelling was easily audible, so I walked over and crouched in front of her.

“... Masa?”

She jumped at my voice, having not expected to be accosted. “O-oh... Hey, Osen.”

“What’s wrong?” I extended a hand, which she took gratefully, and we stood together. “You’re crying...”

Masa sniffed. “S-Sorry, I was just... thinking.”

“About sad things?” I said, stating the obvious.

“... I...” She sucked it up, trying to put on a brave face. “Osen, I know you’re interested about the bruising around my eye. I’ve seen you looking.”

“Well, I’m sorry, I... really can’t help it.” I felt like a kid, getting told off for drawing on the walls. “I mean, I’m not saying it looks bad! I’m just saying I’m... curious.”

Masa paused, looking down as she interlocked her fingers in front of her. “I got it from my ex-boyfriend.”

I had to restrain a yelp. An abusive ex... How had I not thought of that?

“As you can see, it’s rather fresh...” She touched it, hissing slightly at the pain. “He was a student in Hope’s Peak, training to be the Ultimate Police Officer. I... I don’t exactly know what I saw in him, but we’d been together for over four years with over ten attempts to break up with him.”

I sighed. Sounded like a classic story- Masa had been in a toxic relationship, but her boyfriend must’ve had dirt on her to keep her with him. People like that don’t want love- they just want something they can say they own.

“This was the last time he laid his hands on me.” Masa dribbled her fingers along her bruise. “I’d burnt breakfast because he’d kept me up all night with his idiotic games, and soon he’d punched me hard in the eye. Next thing I knew I was strangling him, and... He stopped moving soon after.”

I said nothing, letting her continue. I wasn’t going to think less of her for this- to be honest, I was tempted to say that she’d done the right thing.

Four years of abuse had accumulated into a single violent outburst. Unfortunately for Masa, that had been her death sentence.

“I... I didn’t know what to do, so I just... chucked him down the garbage chute.” Masa began crying again. “They found his body two hours later, and the police immediately put me as a suspect. I didn’t deny them. I even let them put me in handcuffs. But...”

Masa motioned to the room as a whole.

“Now I’m here.” Masa smiled sadly. “And it’s worse than any prison could be.”

Before I could respond, the familiar chime of bells rang out.

“SALUTATIONS, hapless students! It’s now night time--”

Instantly, I blocked the noise out, returning to Masa. “Masa, I... I’m not advocating what you did, but... I’m not turning you away for it.”

Masa shrugged. “I thought you might say that. Call me selfish, but... I don’t feel bad for what I did. The man was a horrible person. Had it not been me, it’d be someone else.”

I sighed. “Looks like it’s time for bed...”

Masa nodded. “I left Cho to draw in the canteen with Motosuki. I wasn’t sure about him to start, but Motosuki does seem like a good guy... he’s very good with kids, at least.”

“Sounds like you’re fond of him,” I replied playfully.

“As a friend, for sure,” She replied with a small smile. “Now, I suppose you’ll be off?”

“Yeah... goodnight, Masa.” I waved as I left for my room. To be honest, it didn’t feel like I’d gotten much done that day, but it wasn’t like we were actually looking for an escape route anymore. I think all of us had figured out the only way to escape was to play D-002’s game.

Getting into bed, I realised something...

I didn’t want to escape. Not if it meant hurting someone else.

Not if it meant hurting my friends.

I closed my eyes... and soon sleep took me.

**END DAY**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to make a schedule for myself!
> 
> Yes, you see that right. From this point onwards, new chapters for CDE will be released every Monday instead of randomly throughout the week. This is to assure that the chapters will be written consistently and they'll be worth the wait.
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I hope to see you soon!  
\- Joseph


	23. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 10(A)

**DAY 10(A)**

Waking up in an unfamiliar situation is confusing. Waking up in a familiar situation that isn’t your bedroom is worse.

Of course, waking up in a killing game for ten days consecutively dulls the pain over the course of the time, but the loss of the others still weighed heavy on my heart. Chuu... Yuno... Kukiko... Hirota... Four people who’d fallen to the despair of the situation.

But... it was getting hard to keep their deaths in mind. It was strange- now they were dead, my mind only wanted to honour them by remembering them from when they were alive. That’s probably why I woke up smiling with tears in my eye that day.

I got up, adjusting the outfit I’d worn for over two weeks. Thank God I wasn’t a heavy sweater; I had no clean clothes to switch out into, after all.

Of course, it was around then I heard one of the most intense arguments I’ve ever heard in my life, followed by the obvious sounds of a scuffle.

I sighed. “Lord, give me strength...”

I pushed open my door, looking down the corridor to see that Kane was holding Kenjiro by the neck against the bedroom door at the far end. Kenjiro responded by head butting him, releasing himself from the grasp of Kane before charging him into the corridor’s opposite side, laying punches into his stomach as he went. Considering Kenjiro was bleeding intensely and Kane was only slightly bruised, it was fair to say this fight had been one-sided for a while, so I ran forwards yelling at them.

“Hey!” I yelled, getting between them. “What the hell is going on?!”

Kane responded by pushing me aside, toppling me, before charging Kenjiro and punching him across the face. That was around when the others came in, and Hisonora stepped in with all the authority of a grizzly bear walking into a children’s campsite.

Once Kenjiro and Kane were separated, I finally got to survey the damage as Cerberus helped me to my feet. I was no doctor, but even I could see Kane’s arm was broken, as well as Kenjiro sporting a disgusting bloody mask, one that Cho had her eyes covered over. I wasn’t an architect either, but I could see that the walls of the bedrooms had been broken and damaged, probably from where the pair had been laying into each other.

Kane nursed his arm. His voice definitely wasn’t broken, as he used it to voice his opinion. “You’re a failure, Kenjiro! You don’t deserve the title of Shadow!”

“That makes two of us,” Kenjiro countered coldly, spitting blood in his direction.

“Can we calm down, please?!” Sun-Sing tried to take command. “Look, what’s going on? Why are you both so worked up?”

‘Worked up’ wasn’t how I’d describe it. It was more like a pair of dictators at a standstill over nuclear war; which I suppose made Sun-Sing the negotiator.

“There is nothing to discuss,” Kane replied sharply. “We failed. The Shadow have failed, so now we follow what we’d commanded to do.”

“I refuse to die for a group who doesn’t deserve my life.” It was the first time since finding out Kenjiro was part of the Shadow that I’d heard any semblance of actual emotion in his voice. “I have no reason to follow the rules of a group that don’t care about me.”

“We don’t care about anyone!” Kane yelled back, having to be physically restrained by Hisonora. “That’s the point of the Shadow! We exist to be void of emotion! We exist to be forgotten!”

“Then you’re already lost.”

To my surprise, Kenjiro wiped away the blood on his face to reveal he was crying. Masa handed him a handkerchief, which he took graciously.

“It’s not about being emotionless anymore.” Kenjiro made himself look presentable. “It’s about the people you can protect. The Shadow doesn’t protect; they prevent. We don’t try and save anyone, we try and stop them from having meaningful life!”

Kenjiro motioned with his arms as Kane growled.

“Look around you, Kane!” He smiled- a genuine smile, one I could tell was actually real. “We’re surrounded by people who wish to care about us! Friendship isn’t preventing death in this place- it’s making the relationships last long enough that we never have to see them die!”

Kane roared back. “You’re nothing to us now, Kenjiro! You’re a failure of a Shadow!”

Kenjiro replied with a single powerful phrase.

“Then I’ll be a failure for the friends I’ll make.”

Motosuki fist pumped. “Thatta boy, Bro! Gimme skin!”

Kenjiro and Motosuki bumped fists as Kane marched away, clearly angry. Akako also hugged into Kenjiro, barely avoiding touching faces with him.

Kane turned around, facing us all as we looked at him. “I’ll see you all in Hell.”

“Yeah, yeah, tell them who sent you,” Motosuki replied with vigour.

Kane left then, leaving the rest of us to look at each other with a sense of pride. Kenjiro’s words vibrated off the walls of my soul, filling me with a hope that I’d not felt since the beginning.

With that out of the way, I led the pack to the canteen. We all took our respective seats in silence. It took a beat of pause for Hisonora to even get back up and head to the kitchen instead.

Yoriko sat across from me once again. “So.”

“You find anything?” I made the question brief.

“Not... exactly.” Yoriko huffed, checking the others. “I went back into the secret room after everyone went to sleep and came up empty handed, except for a few files that... Well, I’m going to be honest, won’t make you happy to see.”

I looked around. “What do you mean?”

“Well... They’re...” Yoriko tried to put into terms I’d understand. “They’re files of everyone in the facility but like... not?”

I bit my lip. “Take me there.”

“Osen, I...”

“Please.” I felt a bubble in my throat. “Just... just so I can know.”

Yoriko didn’t argue, just standing and walking out with me following behind. We went down the hallway to the bedrooms, and as we reached the false wall he flicked his wrist and put it against the false wall, drumming his fingers on it.

“... Are you sure you--”

“Just open it, Yoriko.”

Yoriko did as he was told, pushing through into the secret room, while I followed behind. The room was dark until he flicked on the light, showing it was strangely clean. The shelves had files on them, and the desk had a monitor that didn’t seem to be connected to anything. Things like tubes and wires ran along the ceiling.

I tilted my head. “This is the secret room?”

“It is genuinely just this room, yes.” Yoriko sat at the swivel chair. “I’ve been looking through this computer but I’ve only gotten strands of info.”

I walked over to the computer, crouching slightly to see what I could see. “So, what exactly did you find?”

Yoriko just pointed at the screen. “I’m telling you, you don’t want to see...”

I ignored him as I looked at the computer. I read the files and saw that it was a list of every student- not in the killing game, but in Hope’s Peak. The entire list of students, whether new or old, was in the computer.

It was then I noticed the layout. Instead of the usual name-age-talent, the list was set out to hold an odd set of information.

First, it was the written name. Then the talent, and in brackets afterwards, the student’s birthday. Then was written the connection to a different student, and how they were connected, and then who they’d murdered in the past. Most of the students didn’t have much- it was only when I saw the information for a familiar name that I finally understood.

_KAIYO SYCAMORE- ULTIMATE BOTTLER (Birthday: 5th August)_

_Connection to- KAIYO SYCAMORE (IS HER)_

_Murdered- MOTHER (INDIRECT CAUSE)_

I felt my breath run cold. A new fear gripped my heart. “W-What...?”

Yoriko nodded at me. “Mhm. This is tracking the students of Hope’s Peak and finding connections between all of them. But only to class 14-B; the class that Kaiyo and her friends came from. I’ve written down all where we’ve been mentioned, so if you really want to see...”

Without letting him talk more, I took the scrapbook from him, looking it over with baited breath. Sure enough, he’d done as he’d said; he’d written down information in a list style, with the information exactly the same as the computer.

And my heart skipped a beat when I saw what was written. Not just at... his... but at the others, too.

OSEN GOYA- ULTIMATE HONOURS STUDENT (Birthday: 18th June)

Connection to- YANYASHI HOLLINGS (OLD FRIEND)

Murdered- BULLY (DIRECT CAUSE)

KENJIRO YOSHIMITSU- ULTIMATE M.D (Birthday: 9th December)

Connection to- SHUI NINIGATA (PATIENT)

Murdered- MULTIPLE PATIENTS (INDIRECT CAUSE)

**CHUU NORI- ULTIMATE ARCHER (Birthday: 3rd May)**

**Connection to- ORI TONI (REASON FOR ULTIMATE TALENT)**

**Murdered- SISTER (DIRECT CAUSE)**

**DEAD**

**HIROTA HATSUNE- ULTIMATE ARCTIC RESEARCHER (Birthday: 24th December)**

**Connection to- KANJI JOCOSHINI (OLD FRIEND)**

**Murdered- ENTIRE RESEARCH TEAM (INDIRECT CAUSE)**

**DEAD**

MOTOSUKI ARA- ULTIMATE ARTIST (Birthday: 11th August)

Connection to- LANZO SATAN (BIGGEST FAN)

Murdered- DEALER (DIRECT CAUSE)

MASA TAJI- ULTIMATE HOUSEWIFE (Birthday: 1st February)

Connection to- INI ITINORA (FELLOW WORKER)

Murdered- BOYFRIEND (DIRECT CAUSE)

YORIKO ITO- ULTIMATE HYDROBIOLOGIST (Birthday: 18th April)

Connection to- WINNEGO ESCUDO (EX-LOVER)

Murdered- BROTHER (INDIRECT CAUSE)

CHO MACHI- LIL’ ULTIMATE HAIRDRESSER (Birthday: 6th February)

Connection to- HIBACHI LONGINGS (REASON FOR DISFIGUREMENT)

Murdered- ENTIRE APARTMENT BLOCK, INCLUDING OWN PARENTS, HIBACHI’S PARENTS AND A SERIAL KILLER (INDIRECT CAUSE)

HISONORA YANJUU- ULTIMATE ??? (Birthday: 13th January)

Connection to- AKARI TANAKA (ANTIDEPRESSANT SUPPLIER)

Murdered- AROUND TWENTY PEOPLE, INCLUDING FAMILY (INDIRECT CAUSE)

CERBERUS- ULTIMATE CULTIST (Birthday: 6th October)

Connection to- KAIYO SYCAMORE (DISTANT FRIENDS)

Murdered- OVER A THOUSAND OTHER CULTISTS (DIRECT CAUSE)

**YUNO TSUZUKI- ULTIMATE SWIMSUIT MODEL (Birthday: 29th November)**

**Connection to- YUTA ROOMINUSH (ROOMMATES)**

**Murdered- EX-MANAGER (DIRECT CAUSE)**

**DEAD**

**KUKIKO TEZUKA- ULTIMATE FLORIST (Birthday: 22nd March)**

**Connection to- WANANTA EDONIS (SIBLINGS)**

**Murdered- FORCED HUSBAND (DIRECT CAUSE)**

**DEAD**

KANE SANJURO- ULTIMATE SCHOLAR (Birthday: 1st July)

Connection to- MUTSUKO MANDOLIN (ATTEMPTED ROBBERY)

Murdered- RANDOM CIVILIAN (INDIRECT CAUSE)

AKAKO MOKI- ULTIMATE(?) YOGA INSTRUCTOR (Birthday: 4th November)

Connection to- TAIHEN ATLAS (MODELLED FOR HIM)

Murdered- PERVERT (INDIRECT CAUSE)

**UMON SHIGENOBI- ULTIMATE CIRCUS PERFORMER (Birthday: 15th June)**

**Connection to- TANAKI SAINADU (RELIGIOUS)**

**Murdered- ENTIRE CIRCUS TENT (DIRECT CAUSE)**

**DEAD**

SUN-SING- FORMER ULTIMATE OPERA SINGER (Birthday: 28th February)

Connection to- SUN-SING (IS HER)

Murdered- OWN CHILD (DIRECT CAUSE)

In the span of a minute, I learnt things about the others I didn’t even know about. To begin- Chuu, a man I’d believed to be innocent, had murdered his sister. He’d told me it was a car crash. I’d never seen the body, thankfully, but...

Next, Sun-Sing... she’d killed her own child... I should’ve known. It was something I’d been thinking about for a while. She’d been so quiet about it that I’d never really wanted to ask, but... But still...

And then finally, there were the people whose kill list went down more than a single line. Cho and Hisonora. Two people I’d believed could do no wrong. Cerberus... a boy I’d had suspicions on, but not to this degree. It was the difference between the pair that really threw me through a loop.

I suppose, in a way, Cerberus’ kill record might’ve painted him as an enemy. Unfortunately, with no way to bring that up, I...

Yoriko looked at me as I stared at the list blankly. “... Did I not tell you?”

“O-Over a thousand...” I said it out loud, but I really didn’t mean to. “A-And, Chuu, and... Sun-Sing... I...”

Yoriko gently took the book back from me. “It’s hard to see, I’m sure, but you know what I’m about to ask next.”

Don’t tell anyone else. The question bubbled to the top of my mind.

“W-We...” I went to say my response, but I decided against it. “Okay. Okay, I...”

“There’s one more thing.” Yoriko crossed one leg over the other. “It’s about the Shadow. According to this computer, the mastermind knew about them. The names are listed in a separate document, and it can’t be edited- so it’s fair to say whoever it is has known from the start.”

I gulped. “So he knew there’d be Shadow in his killing game and still went through with it. That means...”

“That means he’s known the Shadow had no influence over him.” Again, we didn’t know the gender of the Mastermind, so we were just going off what we thought they were.

“Then this killing game...” I finally broke the tension with an even bigger amount of tension. “Whoever’s running it has planned in advance for this. Almost like he wanted to put Shadow into it.”

“But a Shadow abhors a killing game’s existence.” He made sure to counter me before I could run with the information. “So it can’t be a Shadow... It can’t be Kane or Kenjiro.”

As he spoke, my eyes drifted over to the cabinets at the back.

“And since they’re dead, it can’t be Yuno, Kukiko, Chuu or Hirota...” Yoriko drummed the desk with his fingers, not seeing I was heading over the drawers at the back. “I highly doubt Sun-Sing would run a killing game after being in one, and the fact you haven’t murdered me over this makes you innocent, so... It has to be Cerberus, Hisonora, Cho, Motosuki, Akako or Taji...”

I put my hand on the handle of the drawer, pulling it open slowly. Inside was a body bag, the frozen smell of blood wafting from it. Yoriko didn’t hear me open the drawer, so I began to slowly unzip the bag then.

I instinctively crunched my eyes closed when I saw it was Chuu. I guess Yoriko must’ve noticed that I’d found them, because he stopped talking and looked over at me.

“...” Yoriko got up and walked over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I... Didn’t really want you to find this, but...”

For some reason, the emotion I felt in that moment was... relief. I suppose I guess I was more of an involuntary emotion considering I felt tears running down my cheek, but there wasn’t anything else I could do.

I was tired. I was just so, so tired. But...

At least now I could say goodbye.

“Chuu...” I put my hand on his chest, the frosty feeling of the bag replying with the numbing cold of death. “I... I never got to say sorry for telling you the truth. I suppose I just fell into that despair of never finding a way out that I just lost myself in it. I still blame myself for your death, even though I know I wasn’t...”

I sighed, closing my eyes and looking into the sky.

“I hope that... whatever happens next... your spirit doesn’t blame me, either.” I finally took my hand off Chuu’s body. He looked as fresh as the day he died... I suppose that was the power of a morgue. “I’m sorry. And... And I’ll miss you.”

With those final words, I zipped the bag back up. It was over. I’d said my due, and I was satisfied with what I said. Yoriko helped me push the slab back into place before locking it.

Yoriko huffed. “Wow... that was...”

I couldn’t help but smile. To my surprise, Yoriko seemed to have reacted to the speech and was now busy trying not to show his tears.

I sighed. “You can cry if you need to Yoriko. No one will blame you.”

“No, it’s not that...” He groaned into his hands. “I just... you took me back to my brother’s funeral.”

“Oh...” I looked away, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine...” Yoriko smiled, wiping the tears. “It’s a good feeling. Reminds me of better days... before the drug addiction and the fighting and... Yeah.”

We stood in silence for a bit, not really knowing how to address each other anymore. This could’ve easily been a point to admit secrets to each other. Admit that we had more to hide than just the things we’d said, or even to go as far as to confess love.

Well, okay, maybe not the last part, considering we were both gay.

“Should we just...” After a very awkward silence, I found myself speaking aloud. “Leave?”

“Yep... Sounds good.” He nodded, shooting me a pair of thumbs up.

With that, we finally left the secret room. I made extra sure that there was no one outside, done by looking at a monitor hung up over the rooms entrance that could see outside, before leading Yoriko outside.

As soon as we were out, of course, he stopped me again.

“Not a word to anyone,” He repeated. “Let’s deal with the fallout later. When we know it’ll be more important.”

“When what will be more important?”

Out of seemingly nowhere, Cho materialised. That’s the best way to put it- I have absolutely no idea where she’d come from in those ten seconds we were talking to each other, but there she was, holding a plush monkey to her chest cutely with blinks aplenty.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. Cerberus was also with her, and to Yoriko’s credit he tried to pull it off without alerting suspicion.

“Ah, you two... Cerberus, Cho! Sorry, we were just--”

Unfortunately, at the mention of his name, Cerberus was on us like wildfire. “What were you two doing?”

I blinked. “U-Um...”

Yoriko glared at me, reminding me this wasn’t my fight. “We were just looking around, Cerberus. Nothing too harmful.”

“Inside a room the rest of us haven’t seen before?” Cerberus raised an eyebrow. “Together? The two people who have been talking with each other the most since the beginning?”

“I...” I shrugged. “Yes?”

Yoriko, however, made a very good point. “Well, what are YOU doing here? And with Cho, no less?”

“After the breakfast we were served, D-002 decided to host another one of his ‘spin-the-wheel’ games. Cho was the participant.”

Cho extended her arms, showing the monkey teddy. “I won this! Her name is Mindy and I love her!”

“I can see that,” Yoriko replied. Clearly, he wasn’t good with kids.

“Oh, but...” Cho then looked away sadly, hugging ‘Mindy’ to her. “There were others things, too. I tried really hard to land the wheel on Escape, I promise!”

“Eh, don’t worry about it kid.” Yoriko put his hands in his pockets. “The wheel’s rigged.”

“Rigged?” Cho asked innocently.

“It means that the thing it lands on is done beforehand,” I explained. “So, like, they could’ve put magnets or something behind the wheel.”

“Oh! I know magnets!” Suddenly, Cho was off like a bottle rocket. “Back in science class, with Mr. Souda, we learnt that magnets can attract stuff to each other! So he did an experiment where we had to watch them attract to each other from distances and write it down! My friend wants to become an engineer to see how they work all the time!”

I could tell almost instantly that Yoriko had blocked Cho out like white noise, but Cerberus did at least make the effort to listen to her. Meanwhile, I just let her explain to me all about magnets until she had nothing left to tell me.

It was very much a case of the blind leading the blind in this place. I didn’t know anything about magnets either.

When it was all said and done, and Yoriko awoke from his trance, all of us ended up going in different direction. Cho headed to her bedroom, Cerberus went to the lounge and Yoriko headed up into the Grand Hall.

It just reminded me of something I hadn’t felt like I’d done in a while.

Was there anyone I really wanted to hang out with?

**PART END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a message to all readers!
> 
> Unfortunately, I can no longer make strawpolls. They just don't really work anymore. Therefore, the remaining freetime events will be decided by people on Discord!
> 
> Don't panic, however! I'm planning to (After the end of this book) Write ALL freetime events for all people you could've hung out with. Not just for this book, either; for Another Branch, the previous one too!
> 
> Hope you're looking forward to it!  
\- Joseph


	24. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 10(B)

**DAY 10(B)**

I spent some time talking with Masa about the places she’s worked in. We grew a little closer that day.

During our chat, the topic came onto how Masa got her ultimate title.

“Oh, it’s a funny story,” she told me. “You see, back when I was a kid, I had an obsession with cleaning. I got good at it. My mother called me her ‘little dust devil’, actually... it was cute.”

We’d been in the canteen, talking over coffee, so it was almost like it was an actual conversation for once. “So, is your family nice?”

“Well, they’re rather strict, but yes, I suppose they are.” Masa nodded. “You can probably tell, but my family did grow up rich, so I was able to get my talent by working for others, and they gave us pocket money for doing so.”

I paused. “Us?”

“Oh, yes... me and my six sisters.”

I coughed, swallowing wrong. “Six?!”

“Yes,” She continued with a smile. “The Taji family is known for having the man of the family run the mansion, so my parents were adamant on trying to get a son. Seven daughters later and here we are.”

“So you and your siblings are kind of like...” I snapped my fingers a few times. “A cleaning squad?”

“If that’s what you wish to call us, yes.”

I smiled suddenly. “Eh... I grew up an only child, so I don’t exactly know what it’s like to have a brother or sister...”

“Well, imagine having a best friend and a worst enemy in the same person at any given time.” Masa swirled her cup. “That’s essentially what it’s like, and that’s times by six in my house.”

“So, who are your sisters?” I asked, interested.

“Oh, that’s a wonderful question!” She smiled back, a sudden sadness to her face. “Because I don’t remember.”

“You... huh?” I tilted my head in confusion.

“Ah, but that is a story for another time.” Masa suddenly stood. “Sorry, Osen, but I need to go. Thank you very much for talking with me.”

Before I could stop her, she was off, leaving me behind. I stood up too, finishing the coffee, before heading outside into the Door Room.

There, I met with Cerberus, who was giving me a rather painful look.

“... Cerberus?”

“Come with me.”

That’s all he said as he led me through the Grand Hallway and up the stairs. I hadn’t been in the rooms other than the stage, so him leading me into the room with the paintbrush on was an experience. Inside was an art room- a room full of painting supplies and different statues and totems. Looks like it had been recently used, too, because the smell of paint was still fresh in the air.

I looked at him as he stood there, waiting for my reaction.

“... Did you want to hang out, or...?”

“No. Look.” He pointed with his gloved hand at the back of the room. I got immediately frightened as I walked over timidly, only to find...

Well, actually, I think what I found was worse than a body.

Sitting in a chair at the back of the room was a painting of me. It was done with oil paints, and looked almost identical to me, bar the hair colour being a little lighter. I blinked, wondering what the hell I was looking at.

Cerberus came up behind me. I turned to him, showing the fear on my face.

“Did...” I cleared my throat. “Did you paint this?”

“No.” His answer was short and blunt, and somehow refreshing. “I don’t know who did. But they seem to have gotten you almost perfect, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I... I didn’t model for this...” I took a step back. “Who could’ve done this, Cerberus?!”

“I don’t know,” he replied again. “But I can assure you... You aren’t the only one.”

That’s when he turned his head, and I turned with him. Behind us were five other paintings; paintings of Cerberus, Yoriko, Motosuki, Sun-Sing and Hiso. It looked almost disturbing in the light of the art room; they were all done in oil paints, so it glistened in the light.

“I... I don’t get it.” I walked over, looking at the paintings in turn. “What on Earth is going on here...?”

That’s when I heard something bump from the closet besides me. I looked over, terrified, and then to Cerberus who was unfazed. He just walked over, pulled on the door...

And said the first sentence I’ve ever heard him say without prompting.

“By Danafulu’s claw...”

I walked to see what he saw. What he saw also made me react the exact same way, just without the same religious tone; inside that closet was sixteen other portraits, all painted in the same oil paintings.

“I don’t understand...” I found myself repeating. “T-This is...”

I looked at the paintings in turn. I recognised who they were- they were all of a single woman, the paintings having her face and bust in each. I found myself blushing slightly.

Kaiyo Sycamore.

Cerberus walked in with me. He said nothing- mostly because he couldn’t- and ran his finger delicately along the canvas, almost in confusion.

“S-Someone...” I gulped down nervous saliva. “S-Someone painted all of these. They’re all unique.”

Cerberus, luckily, took that as a direct comment. “How do you mean?”

“Look at the way they’re painted.” I motioned to the pair he was looking between. “They’re done in different brush types... I learnt about it back when I was taking my O-Levels.”

“I don’t see it.”

I nodded. “Y-Yeah, it’s hard to see... but...”

“You could’ve just said ‘they were all painted by hand’, you know.” He looked at me, his bright yellow glistening in the dark.

“... Yeah.”

I ignored his request and walked through the room, now showing it was an art storage room. The more I looked around, the more terrified I got- it wasn’t just paintings of Kaiyo. It was sculptures, mannequins... All walks of life that just stared back at me with those dazzling blue and red eyes.

And then, right at the back of the storage room, I found a writer’s desk. It was cleanly built, seemingly done by hand, with all the different drawers built in either side of the chair.

“Oh, Yoriko would have a field day with this...” I spoke to myself as I began opening the drawers, rummaging through discarded paper and ink bottles and quills of all varieties. I was, of course, acutely aware that there was a book in full view of me on the desk, but I wasn’t about to look at it yet.

If my time here had taught me anything, it was that the little areas were the main places I should be searching first.

And as I expected, I found what I was looking for... just not in the way I’d hoped. I found a crumpled note with a list of students in the building, written in fine ink. I didn’t even need to read it to know it was for the class of 14-B.

Cerberus peeked over my shoulder. I looked at him.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“What is with this place?” He responded. “This was not what I was expecting when I walked in...”

“You didn’t know about this?” I asked again, this time in fear.

“I knew about the paintings, but not the back room. I didn’t know all of this was back here.” He looked around, eyes not changing in expression. “It seems that whoever owns this back room has an obsession over this... Kaiyo?”

I knew he knew the name, because he’d seen the name written on the walls of the storage room. Sure enough, whoever had made this room was obsessed with the girl to a clearly unhealthy degree.

After all, what kind of person would paint a hundred pictures to a single person?

“Let’s see here.” Cerberus took the book from the desk, continuing from his previous point. “This appears to be a diary of some sort. No, not a diary... this is more a log of someone else’s actions. A stalker’s diary, as it is referred to.”

I checked with him, my eye scanning the pages.

**MONDAY**

She came by the dorms again today. She claimed she was looking for a specific type of flower; I didn’t pay much attention. Too busy staring into her eyes... I guess she must’ve thought I wasn’t good enough because someone else ended up helping here. Doesn’t she know I can help her in more ways than one?

**TUESDAY**

Headmaster caught me again. Need to find a new place to hide these paintings. He’ll freak out if he sees them all. I’ve been hiding them in the expulsion room, but since the delinquent asshole frequents it he’s been desecrating her beauty. I’ll show him. I’ll show them all.

**WEDNESDAY**

Kaiyo’s gone missing. The authorities are trying to cover up her disappearance. How dare whoever it is kidnap her! She better be left unharmed, or I will drag their body across glass! They claim her entire class is gone too, but I don’t care. That rat bastard better return her in one piece...

**THURSDAY**

Overheard some asshole saying that Kaiyo got drafted into a killing game... I knocked his ugly lights out. Serves him right for talking about MY Kaiyo like that. She doesn’t deserve anyone talking <strike>bad</strike> about her- She doesn’t deserve anyone but me.

**FRIDAY**

I slept in Kaiyo’s bed last night. Her scent is so overwhelming. I love her so much. Kaiyo, come back to me please. We’ll be so perfect together... We’ll be so perfect.

**SATURDAY**

Kaiyo is such a beautiful name to write. I could write it forever.

Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo Kaiyo--

That’s where I had to stop. The following twenty pages were all about how much this creep wanted to date Kaiyo, and how much she meant to him and how much he meant to her, even if she didn’t show it. Obsession has a line where you have to slice it outright, and this person went far too over.

I gagged when a smell came from the book. “God, what is that...?”

Cerberus sighed, ignoring my question. “Seems they had a vendetta against letting Kaiyo live without them.”

Cerberus flipped through a few more pages after that point. The further he went, the more angry his expression began getting, clearly being affected by the word he read.

“To think... Someone was so head-over-heels over Kaiyo...”

I coughed. “Cerberus, do you know who could’ve written this?”

“Not exactly,” He replied. “I knew Kaiyo, a little. Nothing too personal, of course, but I like to think we were friends. Of course, when you know someone you know the sort of people they hang out with, and none of her classmates seemed like they’d do something like this.”

“So this is someone just being delusional?” I asked him.

“More than that- this is someone full on breaking what it means to be human over a girl.” Cerberus snapped the book shut, right before the final page. “Nothing to it... I doubt it will be of any use. We should burn it, just in case.”

Seemed extreme, but I agreed. The last thing I’d want is for someone like Cho to come across a book like that, especially when I swore I saw blood stains and the like on the pages at some point. I also took the crumpled list and pocketed it, just in case.

“... We should tell Yoriko about this,” I found myself saying.

“We should tell a lot more than Yoriko,” he replied bluntly. “We should tell everyone. Maybe get them to steer clear of this room in case--”

“OH GOD, OH FUCK!” Suddenly, the door to the art room slammed shut. “Is this good? I don’t know if this is... Hey, what the hell?”

Out of the darkness came Motosuki, who seemed just as confused as us as to why the room was a shrine to a woman he’d never seen.

I blinked. “Oh... hey, Motosuki.”

“What on Earth is all this?!” He yelled. “I was just playing Hide and Seek with some of the others and thought this would be a good place.”

Cerberus took the brunt of the question. “Hard to say, I’m afraid. As you can see, it appears that someone was a little too friendly with a previous killing game member.”

Motosuki looked around again. “No Shit?”

“If it’s any help...” I butted in. “There’s no way this room was filled during the killing game. This place only just got unlocked, right? So the only person who would’ve had access to this area is...”

Motosuki caught on quick. “The Mastermind, got ya.”

I nodded...

And then paused.

“Wait, Motosuki...” I grabbed his arm before he wandered off. “How do you know about the Mastermind?”

“Hm?” He looked at me. “Oh, Cho told me. Said that Yoriko told her about it.”

My heart leapt to my throat. “W-Who... who else knows?”

“Uh... Everyone?” Motosuki chuckled nervously. “Why, were we not supposed to?”

Cerberus made me let go. “Osen.”

“Cho told everyone that there’s a mastermind...” My head warbled with mixed messages. “That means that she could’ve told the mastermind. That means...”

I think Cerberus and Motosuki both knew what I was thinking, because in that instant we sprinted for the hidden room. Sun-Sing tried to stop us, but we were too quick; I threw my entire weight into the hidden room’s false wall and shoved it wide open. The sound of glass breaking echoed the room.

It must’ve been the sound of my heart shattering.

A completely empty room met my vision. In the two hours since me entering the room for the first time, someone had cleared it out without as much as a warning. It had even been dusted thoroughly, showing no footprints we could’ve matched to each other.

The only thing that remained was the cabinets at the back of the room, holding the bodies of fallen students.

The alarming speed we’d run there must’ve alerted everyone else, because suddenly everyone else was piling in. Sun-Sing, Cho, Akako and Masa made it in first, followed by Hiso who had to duck under the doorframe. Kenjiro came in with Kane, Kane’s arm now in a cast, and Yoriko behind the pair.

It was hard to think that this was everyone. 11 students all met with the same amount of confusion and hatred.

Yoriko was pacing around heavily, clearly the most affected by this. “God Damn it... who snitched?!”

Cho looked around pathetically. “I...I just wanted others to know. I didn’t know this would happen...”

Hiso stood between Yoriko and Cho, like Yoriko was going to attack the child. “Yoriko, listen--”

“Listen to WHAT?!” He yelled back, the room’s emptiness echoing the anger. “Look around you, Hiso! This entire fucking room got cleared out!”

“L-Language...” Masa also tried her attempt at calming him down. “It’s okay! We can... we can salvage this, right?”

“You don’t seem to understand,” Yoriko replied sharply. “That computer had a map on it. It had a FUCKING. MAP. It was the exact way out of this facility, and now it’s gone!”

“S-She’s a child...” Sun-Sing pulled Cho into a hug. “You can’t blame her for this...”

Motosuki had been leant against the nearby wall, thinking in silence, before he stood upright and huffed.

“So who is it?” Motosuki crossed his arms. “Who’s the mastermind here? It’s clear one of us did this.”

Kane cleared his throat. “Nonsense. All of us have been together since--”

“That’s not necessary,” Kenjiro interrupted. “There’s clear claw marks on this metal. D-002 moved everything... all he’d need is the command.”

“A command that the Mastermind would only need to motion,” Yoriko guessed. “All it’d take was D-002 to get some sort of gesture or even a small click.”

“And he’s aired out the whole facility,” Motosuki finished.

The nervous glance I gave didn’t help. One of us had done this. At the end of the day, one of us was responsible for ruining our chances of escape. Hell, it had been that way since the beginning- one of us didn’t belong. With no security cameras, the Mastermind was walking amongst us to keep us all in check.

“Earlier on...” Yoriko piped up again. “Osen and I met with Cerberus and Cho after trying to leave this room. We were the only four who knew about this room before Cho told the rest of you.”

“But how did YOU know about this room?!” Akako suddenly yelled in his direction. “Because you found it first, right?!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Yoriko replied coldly. “You’re just as innocent as I am here, so don’t go accusing--”

“Bite your tongue,” Kenjiro barked.

This was what I was worried about. People were beginning to blame each other, using only the opinions they’d gathered.

“Guys...” Hisonora went to be the voice of reason. “Let’s try not to get in over our heads here, please...”

“Oh, bold words coming from the man who won’t even tell us his talent!” Akako seemed to be boiling this argument the most. “You could be just... the U-Ultimate Mastermind!”

“As stupid as it sounds, she has a point,” Kane agreed. “Hiso, it would help if you just stopped hiding your talent.”

“It’s not just him!” Akako then directed her pointing finger at Cerberus. “Mister Silent over there isn’t even trying to defend himself!”

Cerberus sighed. “It’s because of my religion.”

“A religion that causes you to stay silent...” Masa bit her lip. “I... I have never heard of such a religion. Perhaps you’re using it as an excuse to hide your true feelings?”

“Oh, you wanna toss blame?!” Motosuki got involved like a lit match to a gas giant. “Akako’s out here pointing fingers like her life depends on it! Maybe it’s you!”

Akako looked offended. “How dare you?! I would never run one of these stupid things, you... stupid!”

I looked to Cho, who was shaking with a pale face.

“Well maybe it’s you!” Akako yelled at Motosuki, getting in his face. “Maybe you’re now putting pressure on ME to try and get me to admit something that you truly are!”

Sun-Sing sniffled. “Guys, please! You’re just making this worse than it has to be!”

Yoriko’s eyes instantly widened, almost like they were about to glow bright red. “Oh, look whose talking. You’re the most likely to even have the reason.”

Sun-Sing flinched. “E-Excuse me?”

Yoriko almost growled at her. “I’ve been thinking... and I find it suspicious that you, of all people, got dragged back into a killing game instead of someone like Kaiyo.”

“Are you saying I WANT to be here?” She said back, losing her cool slightly. “After everything I already went through, you think I’d want to run a damn killing game?!”

“You would if you had a reason!” Yoriko replied intelligently.

“But I don’t!” She yelled back.

“You do!” He suddenly yelled, and in that moment I realised what he was going to say. “Because you want your fucking child back!”

The silence that followed the echo of his statement might’ve actually killed me if it hung in the air like toxic gas. We were divided, sure, but it had never felt so horrible to be alone in that moment as Yoriko’s face changed from anger, to confusion, to regret.

“... Fuck, I...”

Yoriko then began coughing. It was a horrible, chesty cough, the kind that only a man with Bronchitis could have, but small blood flecks came out with it and matted the floor in crimson.

“W-What?” He looked down. “What... happened?”

I looked at Yoriko with fear, but then remembered that Cho looked the same as he did. I turned my head to see that the little girl was almost identical in colour to the tiles on the floor, holding her stomach in agony.

“M-Masa...” She said quietly. “I-I don’t feel so good...”

Masa was at her side in moments when Cho vomited blood onto the floor. I backed away in dread, my eyes widening, but didn’t get the chance to ask what was going on...

“SALUTATIONS, Hapless students! It’s time for the new motive!” D-002 twirled into the room like a whirlwind. I watched him stop in the middle of us, just making the situation far worse than it could be.

I went to speak...

When a sudden dizzy spell hit me...

And I collapsed to the ground.

**DAY END...?**


	25. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 11

**DAY 11**

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe.

All I could feel was my heart beating as I watched a familiar sight happen before me. Like paint on a watercolour picture, Chuu walked with me as we dragged the body of someone familiar to the graveyard.

“Right here. Bring them here.”

I bit my tongue, wanting to look away, but some strange power forced me to keep looking. The body was propped against the nearby gravestone, almost looking fake had it not been so real.

“This is a bad idea...”

I whimpered. Chuu held the shovel in his hand cautiously, looking around for any witnesses, despite being the dead of night.

“We don’t have time for this. Come on, drag him over.”

I wanted to scream. Why was I seeing this?! Why couldn’t the past just fade away? I hated it. I wanted to cry, to yell, to do anything to stop myself from taking the shovel from Chuu and beginning to dig, to let him run, to let him do anything that wasn’t follow my orders.

But there was blood and dirt caked under my nails within moments as I dug the hole, and Chuu rolled his body into it.

“Osen, What if someone sees us?!” Chuu began panicking, just like he did back then. “We’re going to get kicked out of Hope’s Peak if--”

“Damn it, Chuu, Listen to me!” An argument broke out, just like it did that night, with me taking a tone I wasn’t familiar with. “If they catch us we’re going to prison! Stop thinking about your scholarship for one second and think of the bigger picture!”

“W-We’re gonna get caught. We’re gonna get caught, and they’re gonna blame us, a-and... and...” Chuu began quivering. It seems so pathetic now, but given the circumstance it made too much sense.

After all... Chuu had done this before. He’d watched as his failure to protect his sister sent her into the ground. But that was different; that was before he’d watched the murder happen in front of him.

That was before I even knew he’d killed his sister.

“Calm down, Chuu.” The old me gripped his shoulders. It was unlike me, to be so commanding... “Unlike you, I don’t have an alibi for what happened tonight. All I have was that I was with him when it happened... You know I won’t let you take the fall for this.”

“...” Chuu stayed quiet, clearly not trusting me. His eyes scanned the area, almost like they were searching for me, but he took a deep breath and nodded as he turned away.

The area warped like it was being torn to shreds...

And I found myself waking up.

I gasped for air as I snapped awake, feeling every bit as confused as I’m sure Hisonora was when I flew upwards.

“Whoa! Hey!” Kenjiro was at my side in moments. “Osen, calm down. It’s alright.”

“What happened?!” I didn’t do as he said. “What the hell happened?! I was just... I...”

That’s when I looked around the room and saw that, like in the hidden room, everyone else was in the room with me. We were in the medical office- I recognised the decor- but something was truly off.

Maybe it was the fact Yoriko was paler than a sheet. Maybe it was the fact that Cho was passed out in the bed next to me. Maybe it was the fact that everyone else had a familiar shade of despair in their eyes.

“... Motive.” I sighed.

“You didn’t hear it, sounds like.” Yoriko’s voice was raspy, like he’d been coughing his lungs out. “D-002 states that we’re now all infected with a virus that will kill us in three days.”

“And the only cure is murder,” Kenjiro added as he continued to search the drawers for medicine. “He’s taken all the anti-biotic and suppressants so we can’t fashion a cure of our own...”

“He left the anti-depressants though.” Hiso rolled his eyes. “I mean, he’s not a _monster_...”

“More probably, you committing suicide ruins his plans,” Kane corrected.

Masa stayed at Cho’s side, looking at her. “S-She’s just a kid... She doesn’t deserve this. She doesn’t...”

“Masa! Concentrate.” Akako walked over. “W-We can’t panic. We can’t let him get in our heads...”

“Fitting, coming from someone who was just berating us ALL about being the mastermind,” Motosuki said in a strangely angry voice.

“Well, I’ve been... thinking.” Akako poked her fingers together, that familiar deep blush covering her face. “The Mastermind wouldn’t wanna risk killing themselves with this virus, right?! So, unless they’re really stupid, or they’re immune...”

“So you’re abandoning all theory you had on the off chance that the mastermind won’t kill themselves over it.” Motosuki growled to himself. “Gonna admit, I thought you were stupid at the start, but now I’m certain. They’re hosting a KILLING GAME, Akako!”

Akako huffed. “Y-Yeah, well, I wasn’t asking for your opinion, so...”

“That’s enough.” Sun-Sing stepped in. “Listen to yourselves! You’re bickering like children!”

Akako guiltily rubbed the back of her neck. Motosuki just pulled his hair over his face, done with talking.

“I understand that you’re afraid, but this isn’t how we should go about this.” Sun-Sing said that, but she was already beginning to look paler already. “It’s clear the virus affects those with illnesses more, so we need to keep an eye on Cho, Yoriko and Osen.”

Hiso nodded in response. “I’ll go get some lemongrass tea. Motosuki, you’re coming with me.”

Motosuki looked at him. “Why do I have to--”

_“Move it.”_

There was that scary voice. Hiso only seemed to use it when he was too fed up with other things to keep his ‘funny guy’ demeanour. It also worked like a charm, as Motosuki basically walked straight out the door without saying goodbye.

Sun-Sing walked over to me, sneezing into her hands. “Oh, bless me. How are you feeling, Osen?”

“Better...” I tried to get up again, and this time Kenjiro didn’t stop me. “I think it was just a dizzy spell.”

Sun-Sing’s eyes drifted to Masa, who stood over Cho with an iron gaze. Meanwhile, Cho whimpered and twisted around, clearly in pain with no way to change that.

“She... She’s blaming herself.” Sun-Sing smiled sadly. “She thinks that this is her fault.”

I turned to see the pair. Sun-Sing was talking quietly enough that Masa couldn’t hear us, but I didn’t have much of a quiet voice myself so I kept silent, simply sighing at the seriousness of the situation.

“S-Should... Should we make sure she’s okay?” I asked back.

“I don’t think she’ll respond, but...”

The word ‘but’ was all I needed, and I found myself heading over to her. Even from the distance I was, I could see that Masa was crying, but getting closer her face was more than just sad.

She was done. And that was a scary thing in a killing game.

I didn’t even get a chance to speak when Masa looked up at me with her tired, tired eyes. All thought ceased as I looked into them, knowing that there was nothing to say now.

“I should’ve...” Masa began. “I should’ve... I should’ve done something...”

“Masa, no...” I put my hand on her shoulder. “Stop. Stop blaming yourself over this... this isn’t your fault.”

“But I could’ve--”

“No, you couldn’t.” I tried to keep my composure. “There was nothing you could’ve done. That any of us, could’ve done.”

I looked to Sun-Sing, who now stood with Yoriko. I only hoped to God they kept it civil.

“Listen to my words, Masa...” I took her firmly by the shoulders and sort of forced her down to my level. “There was nothing you could do. I promise you, that if there’s some way I can help, then I will. Okay?”

She sniffed. It was the first time I’d seen Masa so... well, not upset, because I’d caught her crying. I suppose ‘shut in’ was the correct words to use here; she looked about ready to cave in on herself without so much as a tear.

“... Please don’t beat yourself up over this.” I made her look at me when her face turned. “Please. Please don’t.”

Masa blinked twice, but her face didn’t change. Due to her talent, I suppose she was used to being told what to do, so I don’t know if my words even rang out.

I had to stop looking at her face, though. It’s almost dead expression was being to get contagious. I patted her shoulder, turned away with a strained smile, walking over to see what Sun-Sing and Yoriko were talking about.

“-So yeah, sorry about... what I said.” Yoriko itched at his scalp. “Truly. It was heat of the moment, and...”

Sun-Sing nodded, closing her eyes in understanding. “I get it, Yoriko. Everyone was yelling and making accusations, and you got caught up in it.”

“Still... Not a good idea to bring up your dead kid--”

“It’s _fine_.” Sun-Sing spoke through gritted teeth. “Just, please... don’t bring it up anymore.”

Yoriko nodded. “Of course. Sorry.”

Sun-Sing walked out then, her heels clicking out into the hall. I walked to Yoriko, taking her place, but there wasn’t really anything to say between us- he had a face like he had no reason to speak as it was.

Of course... that gave me the chance to ask what I’d been waiting to for a long, long time.

“... You’re not actually a Hydro-whatever, are you Yoriko?”

He smirks, colour seeming to return slightly to his face. “What gave it away?”

“Perhaps the fact that you’re way too smart for your own good,” I chuckled. “It should’ve been obvious. They don’t keep you from becoming a detective because of colour-blindness...”

Yoriko predicted what I’d ask next. “Sorry to keep it a secret, but... I had a feeling we were part of a killing game at the start. I didn’t want others relying on me.”

He smirked.

“Too much effort.”

Sure enough, that was the tipping point- That meant we needed to hang out. That’s all it could really mean, right?

**...**

I spent the day making theories with Yoriko about the facility we were trapped in. I think we grew a little closer that day.

Yoriko was busy writing in his notebook when he caught me looking at him. “What’s up? Interested?”

“I just want to know something,” I asked. “What exactly caused you to choose the talent ‘Hydrobiologist’?”

“Well, it was a pretty funny choice,” He explained. “I wanted people to think I was smart without giving away that I was basically attempting to put the whole situation into my hands.”

I tilted my head. We were in the canteen now- talking over Lemongrass Tea, as it were- and he’d been drawing out theories and maps into his notebook since the beginning. Honestly, I could see it; if I didn’t know any better, Yoriko looked no more than a worker, taking notes of the Hydro Plant he’d work at.

Suddenly, he tossed the notebook to the side, putting a hand over his mouth and drumming his fingers on his cheek. “I just don’t get it.”

“Don’t get what?” I asked, almost mechanically.

“All of the things that D-002 has put in place,” He replied. “Most specifically, the door. He purposely made it look like it would grant our escape, despite reminding us that there was none. I just don’t understand his motives for doing this.”

“I don’t think he HAS a motive,” I mentioned. “Besides running a killing game, D-002 doesn’t seem like the kind of person to have a motive.”

“That’s just the thing!” Yoriko drummed his fingers on the table instead. “If they have no motive, then they have no reason! So they can’t be...”

Yoriko trailed off, realising he was talking crazy. When I went to talk again, he began coughing up a storm again, so I realised the conversation was over.

I left the canteen feeling strangely invigorated. The Lemongrass Tea was working wonders. I wonder what was put in it.

I headed to the kitchen, seeing that Hiso and Motosuki were still here. They were working in complete silence, with Motosuki clearly not happy but Hiso not trying to make him feel better.

“Oh, hey Osen!” Hiso smiled at me. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” I replied. “I’m just wondering what you guys were doing.”

Considering Motosuki wasn’t the snappy, making-jokes version of himself, I could tell they’d had a conversation which had left the atmosphere sour.

Hiso, of course, tried to move it along. “Well, we’re hard at work making Lemongrass Tea for everyone.”

“HE’S hard at work.” Motosuki sighed. “I don’t know how to make it, so I’m sort of just boiling the water.”

“And you’re doing a splendid job at it, Motosuki.”

“Yeah, whatever...” He huffs a sigh, leaving, finally sick of Hiso’s constant appraisal. I watched him go, unhappy that he felt that way.

“Such a horrible motive, isn’t it?” Hiso shrugged. “Just screwed over with no chance of getting the cure. It’s pathetic. The Mastermind should be ashamed!”

“...” I had to bite my lip. There was no way... right?

“Anyway, would you be a dear, Osen?” Hiso handed me a tray with about twenty cups on it, the sweet smell of lemongrass wafting around me. “Can you deliver these cups to the Medical Office?”

“This is quite a lot...” I wanted to say ‘two cups per person’, but decided against it. “Are you sure we’ll need this many?”

Hiso nodded. “Positive. Lemongrass Tea saves lives, as I learnt in the war!”

... In that moment, I felt a sudden change in the wind. Hiso’s smile didn’t seem so real anymore, and neither did his words.

Sure enough, like the Shadow, Hiso’s depression was obvious now I knew it was there.

“I’ll do that, yeah...” I nodded, trying a small smile to match is overarching grin. “You’re a good guy, you know that Hiso?”

“Oh, come on now.” Hiso patted my shoulder very, very lightly. “Don’t thank me for being a decent human being.

“Can I thank you for being a friend, then?”

Hiso nodded. “Certainly. Now go on! It’ll get cold.”

I walked out and to the medical office. Sure enough, I couldn’t help it- Hiso’s personality wasn’t sitting right with me. It was just...

It was the fact that, despite everything...

He didn’t seem to be sick. At all. There wasn’t even that slight glimmer of him being ill. It was like he wasn’t affected by the ‘disease’.

Though maybe it was just my imagination.

I walked in with the tray of cups, putting it down on the desk. Kenjiro was still dealing with Cho, Masa having moved to a seat with her dead expression, but everyone else had gone to do things to wait out the timer on our hourglasses.

“Hey Ken.” I walked over, seeing he was putting an ice pack on Cho’s head. “Do you think she’s going to wake up?”

Kenjiro shook his head gently. “To be honest, I... I don’t think she’s going to make it past tomorrow.”

I rested my hand on hers. “S-She’s just a kid... who would do something like this to her?!”

“A psychopath.” Kenjiro rubbed his brow. He’d pulled his mask over his mouth again, a sign that he wasn’t taking any chances. “Straight down to the fucking core.”

I blinked, surprised Kenjiro could even say words like that. “Well, we need to find out who it is. I at least want that before we die.”

Kenjiro eyed Masa, who was just sat there, almost like a statue.

“... What I’m surprised is that nobody told you the second part of the motive.”

I groaned. “There’s more...?”

“Not a second part to the motive, but a small slip-up he made. Hiso commented on it after the announcement.” Kenjiro finally walked from out behind the bed Cho was placed in, letting Masa take the spot again as he ditched the gloves he’d used. “The virus doesn’t affect people with O type blood.”

“Wow, he let THAT slip?” I smirked. “How’d he manage that?”

“A bit of manipulation, to be honest...” Kenjiro took a cup from the tray. “He said the virus ‘goes right after the blood’, so I just asked him what kinds of blood, and he forgot to mention O type so I’m assuming it’s got immunity.”

I tutted. “I’ve got type A.”

“Same,” He muttered as he took a sip from the cup. “I doubt everyone would tell us their blood type, though. It might cause suspicion.”

“Isn’t O blood really rare?” I asked honestly. “What are the chances there’s even anyone with O type blood in the facility?”

Kenjiro pulled his mask down then, showing he was smirking slightly. “Actually... I have a feeling Cerberus is.”

“Cerberus?” I tilted my head. “How come? Is he not ill?”

“I don’t know,” Kenjiro responded moistly. “It might be because he told me.”

It took a second for the joke to register in my head. “O-Oh! He... did? Why?”

“I dunno,” Kenjiro replied, against rather fluidly. “I was just sorting the medical bags when he came in. I asked him what was up and he told me straight that he was Type O. I guess he wants to make sure I can perform a transfusion...?”

“When did he tell you that?” I asked, now slightly afraid.

“Like, the second day I was here.” Kenjiro shrugged. “Then again, a few of the others told me, too. Hiso’s apparently type O, too, and Sun-Sing is AB.”

I made a mental note of that. Hiso was... type O...

I couldn’t hold it anymore. With a deep breath, I went to tell Kenjiro the truth.

“Ken... I think Hiso might be the mastermind.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “There’s a ton of signs pointing towards him. He won’t tell us his talent, he seems to have a ton of secrets... plus, now with him having Type O blood, he’ll be one of the people who’ll survive the virus.”

“Both him and Cerberus.” Kenjiro sighed. “And I doubt Cerberus would be able to take him down.”

Honestly, I’m glad that he shared my opinion.

“Hey, so, do you want to hang out?” I asked him. “I think we both need a break.”

Kenjiro smiled. “That’d be lovely. What do you... want to...”

I nodded a few times. I didn’t feel well... that should’ve been obvious. But something was now arising in my stomach... fear... despair, maybe?

“... Osen?”

... No, wait. It was vomit.

I puked into the nearby trashcan, apologising almost immediately. Kenjiro sighed, holding my hair back as another tidal hit the inside of the bin.

“You should probably lay down and rest, Osen.” He helped me to the nearby bed. “It’s fine... just take a break, okay?”

I lay down, as much as I didn’t want to, and Kenjiro tucked me in like my father would’ve before. I sighed, feeling worse than I did before somehow.

“Try and get some rest, okay?” Kenjiro adjusted my hair. “Hopefully it’ll be better in the morning.”

I closed my eyes. Sleep didn’t come easy...

But I managed.

**DAY END**


	26. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Immediate note- yes, I realise it's way too early, but I couldn't wait to post this one. Enjoy the extra chapter! There won't be one on Monday, so I thought I'd give you this one instead.)  
\- Joseph

**DAY 12**

Black.

No dreams. No hallucinations. Just... Black. Black splotches on black paint, swirling with black ink and black watercolour. The colour didn’t even seem real as I watched it swirl.

I was in my mind again. I couldn’t say ‘dreaming’ because I wasn’t. I was simply... here.

But not for long.

In a flash, like a thunderbolt struck the air, I saw a figure. They stood in the darkness, their body low to the ground with a crouch.

I tried calling to them. To walk. But it was like my body was frozen in time, staring down what was surely the saviour from my nightmares. Screaming echoed the air around me as another thunderbolt struck, revealing that the man I’d thought he was... wasn’t.

It was... almost...

Serpent like.

And then, I woke up. My head was pounding with a headache brought on by the visions before. It wasn’t until I actually got out of them and was staring at the medical office’s ceiling that I realised the screaming had followed me into the real world.

I looked over to my left, afraid at what I’d see. In my haze, I saw Kenjiro desperately holding Cho by the shoulders as she convulsed as Masa, who’d very well lost her cool, screamed at him to help her.

“HOLD HER STILL!” Kenjiro suddenly screamed back. “I need to sedate her!”

Masa held Cho’s legs. “Kenjiro! Help her!”

“I’m fucking TRYING!”

Almost at that remark, Cho vomited blood onto Masa. Masa’s face changed in that moment- no more was the girl that could’ve swept the room clean. I was looking at a complete and total stranger, flecks of blood on her cheeks from the stream that hit her, her dress completely coated in blood. Her face was no more than a mask now, holding back what I could only assume was a splintering mind.

“Masa!” Kenjiro crowed at her. “MASA! Pay attention! Her heart’s stopped- I need you to...”

Kenjiro must’ve looked up at that moment, because his voice hit the end of the tracks early. He sighed, gritting his teeth, mask pulled up.

I steeled myself, getting up. “I-I’ll take over.”

Kenjiro wasn’t expecting that. I know, because his eyes turned to me wildly and his voice wavered with fear. “Osen!”

Masa wasn’t moving. I couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. I marched forwards, my legs feeling weaker than usual, before basically lying my weight onto Cho’s feet.

“Y-You’ve got this, right?” I looked up at Kenjiro. “We’ve got this.”

Kenjiro nodded, an eighth of confidence arising in his voice. “Okay. Okay! Alright! I’ve got this.”

Kenjiro began performing CPR on Cho. The rhythmic thumping of his hands on her heart caused the bed to rock, and I was left feeling like I was on the ocean as he tried desperately to get her heart working. One, two, three, four, take a break. One, two, three, four, take a break.

I looked to him, a single tear dripping from my eye. “K-Ken...”

“I’m trying!” He kept going. One, Two, Three, Four, break. One, Two, Three, Four, break... “God, come on... Come on!”

I stiffened, standing up from off of Cho’s legs. There was no point... Cho wasn’t moving, much like Masa who just stood there with the deadest of expressions.

One, Two, Three, four.

One, Two, Three, Four.

One, Two, Three...

I put my hand on Kenjiro’s shoulder. “Ken...”

“I can fix this!” He kept going futilely. “I can fix this! I can... I can...”

“Ken!” I shook his shoulder. “Ken, she’s gone!”

“NO!” He pushed me away, causing me to collapse. “I can bring her back! She doesn’t have to die like this!”

One, Two, Three, Four. It was useless now. Kenjiro was trying to bring life back into a carcass. It wasn’t like Cho could’ve been revived anyway... If the disease ‘attacked the blood’, what was the chances she even had blood still in her system?

One, Two, Three, Four.

One, Two, Three, Four.

One, Two-

And then he stopped. I looked up from the floor, seeing that Kenjiro’s hands were now being held down by Masa.

“... She’s gone.”

The difference in voices split the air. Where I’d basically yelled at him, Masa was just... quiet. Shy, almost, Like she was trying to confront her boss for a pay rise. I just watched as Kenjiro’s eyes looked up at Masa, and down at Cho, flicking between the two subjects like he debating on ignoring Masa’s request.

Not even a request.

A statement, and a true one at that.

Cho... was no longer with us.

Kenjiro’s hands steadily took themselves off Cho’s chest and put themselves as fists on his own. He backed away three steps, still looking at the body, before his back hit the medical bed behind him and he slumped downwards to the floor, much like I was.

His hand shakily went to his mask, pulling it down to his neck.

And in that one moment... I saw the tears of a man who’d lost a patient close to him. Kenjiro was an M.D. He was used to seeing people die; that’s just what happened in hospitals. But this was different.

Maybe it was the fact Cho was just a kid. A girl with her entire life ahead of her. Or maybe it was because Cho had been like us- trapped, with no way out. But this seemed to weigh heavily on Kenjiro; he was so, terribly aware of what had happened, and that was eating at him.

I used a lot of strength to pull myself over to him. All I could do was through my arms around him loosely in the vacant attempt to hug him, and he met me with a larger one.

I’ll never forget the sob he let loose into my ear as he pushed his face onto my shoulder.

I’ll never forget it, for as long as I live.

... It took a while for the others to wake up. This whole event had happened at six o’ clock in the morning, a few hours before people even thought of waking themselves up. In that time, I did all I could- I helped Kenjiro and Masa clean up the scene, to at least hold that shred of decency to who Cho was.

The last thing we wanted was for the others to walk in and see a blood-covered carcass.

Masa hadn’t spoken a word since then. It had taken two hours, and she’d just been working as though we’d told her to be silent. Kenjiro had asked her questions; questions like ‘Are you okay’ and ‘what now’, but she didn’t answer any of them. They say trauma does that to you; makes you want to close in, to never speak to anyone.

It was Sun-Sing who found us first. She was... accepting. Unnaturally so. Kenjiro had said Cho wasn’t getting through the night, and I suppose she was expecting that. Kane followed her in soon after, and he was emotionless to her. I wanted to hit him when he said that ‘Cho would be fine in heaven’.

One by one, people came in, and one by one we had to explain what had happened. Akako was immediately on Kenjiro, telling him it wasn’t his fault, while Motosuki stood in the background with a glum expression and no words of his own.

Hiso, however, was the most devastated. He tried not to show it, lord knows he tried, but Cho had been his friend, perhaps for the better good. I never knew Cho as personally as Hiso probably did. Sun-Sing was able to calm him down though, and let me tell you; watching a man of that size cry out in anguish is haunting.

Yoriko met with me soon after everyone had come to terms with it. I didn’t know what he was going to say, to be honest; Yoriko had never been one to enjoy the presence of children, but I could tell something was eating at him.

I sighed, feeling a weight in my chest. “What?”

“... I don’t know.” That was his response. “To be honest, I... I just don’t know. I’m sorry.”

I tutted. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I know.” He groaned to himself. “But I feel like if I...”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I repeated. “I was there. Even if Kenjiro could’ve brought Cho back... I think she’d probably just suffer another few minutes.”

None of us were twisted enough to kill a child.

None of us except a robot hell bent of Despair.

“... I’m going to...” I looked around the room at the people still there. “I’m going to talk with someone. Try and take my mind off of it.”

Yoriko nodded. “Y-Yeah. You do that.”

As I walked over to my choice, Yoriko walked to Kenjiro, asking a question I didn’t hear. I don’t think I wanted to, to be honest; it was probably something to do with investigating the body.

So instead, I parked myself in front of Motosuki. He looked up at me, a faint smile on his face. “Hey, kid. How are you holding up?”

“Like scotch tape around a weather balloon,” I muttered. “Do you mind if we hang out for a bit? Just so I can get... that image, out of my head?”

“Of course.” Motosuki nodded to me, getting up. “Come on. I know where we can go.”

**...**

I spent a while talking with Motosuki about... something I forgot. We grew a little closer that day.

I sighed. We were on the staircase in the grand hallway, just... talking. It was all I really needed from him, but I could tell he was getting bored.

So, I moved the topic onto something I know he was passionate about. “So, tell me about your music. What kind of songs do you write?”

Motosuki groomed his hair. “Well, with dubstep, you never really plan out anything in advance, see? So I just play a bit of a guitar rift and see if it’s any good with modified strings.”

“You play guitar?” I got slightly excited myself.

“Oh, I play all sorts of instruments!” He began listing them. “I play Guitar, Bass, Drums, Violin, Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone... Bongos and the Triangle, and occasionally, if I’m feeling frisky, the flute.”

“You’re like a one man concert,” I giggled.

“I also play the Spoon.” He grinned at me.

“You... You mean, the Spoons?” I tilted my head, confused.

“Nnnnope.”

We both laughed at his joke. Motosuki had that good way of bringing good feelings into the room.

I sighed. “How do you stay so positive, Motosuki?”

“Well, the secret is hard drugs.” A pause, then a snicker. “Nah, Not really. The real answer is, well, I dunno! I have a few off days, sure, but it’s not like there’s anything overly controlling my personality. Besides Memes, of course- only the dankest.”

At that regard, he grabbed something from his back pocket, tossing it down the hall.

“Yeet.”

I laughed loudly. I don’t know why, but that really tickled me. He’d said it so deadpan for the amount of effort that joke probably took.

Unfortunately, that was about where the bad thoughts began sinking back in. Motosuki recognised it immediately, suddenly wrapping an arm around me.

“Hey...” He wiped a tear that I didn’t even know I had on my face. “It’s going to be okay, alright?”

“Y-You don’t know that!” I stood up, the free time very much over. “What happened in that room? It’s going to happen to all of us! Aren’t you scared?!”

Motosuki paused. For the first time since meeting him, he actually looked like he was thinking about that question.

Then he answered. “You know... I don’t think I am.”

“H-How?” I felt myself nearly repeating what I’d asked before. “How are you staying so positive?”

“To be honest...” Motosuki crossed his legs, coughing slightly. “I think... I think I’ve kind of just accepted that this is it, you know? The trashcan doesn’t get to toy with us anymore if we’re dead. No more putting each other’s lives on the line when lives don’t exist in his little game.”

I huffed. “I-It’s easy for you to say... People with O type blood aren’t affected by this.”

Motosuki coughed again. This time, I saw a single strand of bloody spit hit his hand. “Well then I hope they’re happy to finally escape.”

I wanted to retaliate. Had... Had Motosuki really given up that easy?

“... Will we meet again, Motosuki?” My voice echoed the hall. “Up there. O-Or, down there...”

“You believe in that, huh?” It was a question, sure, but it was pretty much a statement. “You know, I never really thought about it myself. But I think, as long as it _is_... you know... I think it’s a possible thing.”

He begins drumming his hands on his chest to an unfamiliar rhythm.

“... Alright, I think I need some time to think this through.” He shrugged. “Sorry, Osen, but could you leave me alone for a bit?”

I nodded, even though I didn’t want to. Take some dizzy steps out, I walked my way through into the door room, seeing that Yoriko was coughing up another storm in the hallway ahead.

“Y-Yoriko...” I called his name, barely standing straight. It was true, what Sun-Sing said- those with illnesses were being affected quicker. My arrhythmia, for the first time in forever, was being my downfall.

Yoriko looked up at me, pocketing a blood covered pocket square that he must’ve assumed I missed. “Hey Osen. Still standing I see.”

“W-We’re...” I had to put my hands on the wall to centre myself. “We’re not going to make it... are we?”

Hope was no longer in my voice. I was terrified now, and I just wanted Yoriko to tell me a lie; tell me that I was going to be okay. Tell me that my mind wasn’t shutting down, or that my body was eating itself from the inside out. My veins were already beginning to hurt.

“... No.” Yoriko sighed, telling the truth. “I can’t even go a minute without--”

He began coughing again, still desperately trying to talk.

“I think we’re going to die in the next hour, Osen.” Yoriko gave up, pushing the pocket square over his mouth. “I... I’m just going to lock myself in the medical office. Hopefully things will be better when pass on.”

“Y-Yoriko--” I tried to follow him as he turned, but I collapsed to my knees, another tidal of vomit escaping my mouth. I watched in terror as he walked away, doing just what he said he’d do; going into the medical office and presumably barricading it.

I stayed there, on my hands and knees, for what felt like an eternity. The air felt sickly sweet, like the musk of rot was wafting over me.

I didn’t want to die.

Not like this.

I shakily got to my feet. I had to fight it. I couldn’t let the virus take over me. With the heaviest footstep imaginable, I slammed my hand into the wall, fighting the urge to collapse again.

And to my surprise... someone heard it, and opened the door to the gym right beside me.

“Oh, it’s you.” Akako met my gaze as I looked at her. “God, y-you’re really pale.”

“T-Thanks.” I growled at her.

“Hey, since you’re still standing...” Akako motioned with her hand behind her. “Why don’t you join us? We’re going to do s-some... Yoga.”

The pause of tension between us was palpable.

“N-Not because I like you or anything!” She suddenly pouted. “It’s just, you know, I wanna make you feel better. A little. Kinda. Yeah.”

To be honest, I wanted nothing less than to do Yoga when my body already felt about ready to bend in on itself, but at this point it was like tasking a moth not to batter the light with its wings. I carried myself into the gym, the refreshing cold air of it coating my sweating form.

I hadn’t even realised I was sweating. Hell, maybe I was just pretending otherwise.

As I expected, the rest of the room consisted of males; a very tired looking Kenjiro and a very indifferent looking Hisonora. As Akako laid out another Yoga Mat, Hiso put one of his mitts on my shoulder.

“She dragged you into this too, huh?” He snickered. “Don’t worry... she promised she isn’t going to do anything overzealous.”

Akako took the front of the room, with the three of us lined up so she could see us all. She smiled, finally in her natural habitat. “Alright! Let’s start with some light stretching.”

Kenjiro and Hisonora shared an embarrassed look.

“Oh, come on.” Akako suddenly threw her leg straight upright, holding it there as she stretched. “Don’t be so coy! You can’t do Yoga without stretching!”

The sudden change in personality was almost mindboggling. Akako, the shy Tsundere, was suddenly taking command of the arguably two most confident people in the entire place. After a bit of convincing, suddenly Hisonora was straightening himself like a lamppost and Kenjiro was doing that sort of classic ‘stretch side to side’ thing. I twisted myself as best I could, but my dizziness took over and I found myself falling into Hiso who caught me without looking.

Akako looked to me with a mixture of concern and professionalism. “O-Oh, uh, Osen... Well, maybe sometimes you can forgo stretching. Let’s do some light positions, instead.”

For the next ten minutes, Akako began leading us through different types of positions that I barely accomplished. They were all relatively easy, too; kneel down, stick your butt in the air, and hold for eight. Then move one leg into the air, hold for eight, and do the same for the next leg. Keep your forehead on the mat.

Don’t throw up. Dear god, don’t.

Of course, the basic positions couldn’t satisfy Akako, and she sat us all down for the next one. “Okay, for this one... try touching your nose onto the mat! We’ll all try it on the count of five, and then we’ll hold it until I say to release. Ready?”

Hiso seemed confident. “Alright, sounds good!”

“Okay, on my mark.” Akako made a triangle shape with her legs with an open bottom. “Five, four, three, two... go!”

On her count, we all went down. I was an inch from the surface of the mat, my nose dangerously close. Just a little more...

My legs clicked as I suddenly planted it on the mat. All at once, stress completely escaped my mind. For a single, solitary moment, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

I held that position for ten seconds. Then twenty. After the thirtieth, I couldn’t hold it anymore and I rolled over, looking up at the ceiling. I took a nice, deep breath, seeing that Kenjiro and Hisonora were still holding it, but Ken gave me a side look and did the same movement. Hiso followed about five seconds after, thinking it was part of the routine.

“Whew! Haven’t done that in a while.” Hiso chuckled to himself. “God, I feel much better! How about you guys?”

Kenjiro sat up, saying nothing, but I sure as hell knew what he meant. My dizziness was gone, and that sickly feeling of illness had vanished for the moment. I looked over my shoulder at Akako, ready to ask her what was next.

... Only to find her in the same position she’d been in when I’d stopped looking at her.

“... Akako?” Kenjiro got up suddenly. “Hey, Akako, what...”

And then I saw it. It was no more than a slither, but... a bloody streak layered itself onto her Yoga mat.

All at once, Kenjiro flew to his feet. I’d never seen him move so fast; he rushed over to her side, tugging her by the shirt. For a second, I told myself it was okay; for the second it took for me to see the pin-sized hold in her forehead and her fatally surprised expression, I told myself that she had just given herself a nosebleed for going down too fast.

Even as Hisonora got up, shock in his voice, I pretended that I wasn’t looking at the corpse of Akako Mori.

I pretended so, so hard...

Until that familiar chime rang out.

_Ding, Dong, Dong, Ding..._

**DAILY LIFE END**


	27. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION

**DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION**

Pain.

My throat was so terribly dry. It was painful. But I didn’t open my eyes.

My breathing was heavy and thick. It was like tar had infected my lungs. But I didn’t open my eyes.

He’d told me everything I needed to know about how the cure worked.

I didn’t think I’d ever need it.

I didn’t open my eyes.

... but eventually... I realised the pain was fading. The pain was disappearing without so much as a trace it had once been there. I opened my eyes finally, seeing that the medical office looked exactly as it did when I was leaning against the wall earlier.

Two minutes ago, I was accepting death. Now, I felt like I could take the world on with a toothpick.

My eyes scanned to the medical beds. I’d done it. I was so sure I wouldn’t be able to, but... I actually felt cured. I...

I... I could smell something. Like sweet flowers on the air.

... And then...

_Ding, Dong, Dong, Ding..._

I bolted to my feet, all excess energy I’d had being overwritten by my usual. I didn’t even listen to the announcement; I kicked the door open, walking straight across the hall with an angry expression.

Osen was waiting at the door for me. “Y-Yoriko--”

“Move.”

I walked into the gym. There, cradling Akako’s carcass, was Kenjiro. His eyes were empty as they looked up at me, a single, horribly dry tear running down his face.

“I-It was...” Kenjiro just kept sitting over her, his face an emotional bonfire. “It was so quick. I didn’t get to... to say goodbye, I...”

I sighed. Akako... she had been a weird light in the dark type personality. She was able to make me laugh, sometimes. She’d seen something in Kenjiro, and Kenjiro saw something in her.

Now Akako was dead, and Kenjiro seemed defeated. I pinched my nose as everyone who hadn’t been in the room gathered.

All except three people.

D-002 appears soon after. “SALUTATIONS, Hapless Students! How are we all feeling?”

The smell of flowers was still pleasantly wafting through the air. It was sickening.

“Nobody got a word to say?” D-002 snickered. “Are we all gonna cry? Are we all so sad that none of us can speak?!”

Hiso sighed. “You know the drill. Give us the file and off with you.”

D-002 laughed. “Nah! I’m not done trash talking you yet! What happened to accepting death? To letting the tides flow over you? A lot of good that did you, huh? Look at you all, constantly pretending things will get better! And where does that find you...? That’s right! Right here, in this room, with the corpse of little dear Akako!”

D-002 laughed evilly. For the first time a while, I saw his wickedness- The pride he got from the killings was palpable and thick. I was the only one standing with my head up; Kenjiro looked to the dead Akako at his knees, Hiso and Osen looked to their feet, Sun-Sing looked to the ground and twirled her hair. Even Motosuki, the usually jolly one, had no words.

From what I could tell, however, that wasn’t all of us. There were three people missing, not including the dead.

Kane, Masa and Cerberus were all missing from the group.

I looked around, impatient. “You’re not giving the files because there are people not here. Let me go find them.”

I left the room out into the open. For the first time in a while, I could breathe fresh air; for some reason, the atmosphere of the gym was suffocating me in a way I wasn’t familiar with. I walked to the dorms, rasping my knuckles on every door I could to see if there was anyone inside.

The first person I found was Cerberus. He opened his door, groggily rubbing his eye with an angry expression. Guess I’d interrupted his slumber.

“Body.” I pointed with my thumb. “Gym. Move.”

Cerberus said nothing back, trudging in that direction. For the first time, I noticed something that I wasn’t sure I was supposed to; Cerberus was walking with a slight limp, one that wasn’t even slightly obvious is you weren’t looking at him from behind. I thought nothing of it, heading to the next door and knocking on it.

After a few seconds, I realised whose door it was. It was Cho’s. I went to leave, but to my surprise Masa came out of it, the bags under her eyes heavy enough that she could use them as weights.

“O-Oh, hello, Yoriko.” She sniffed. Her eyes were red from the tears she’d been crying. “Can I...”

I didn’t even need to say anything. Masa’s false smile faded instantly, and her mask shattered like porcelain.

“... There’s a body... isn’t there.”

I sighed and nodded. Masa didn’t ask me for directions; crossing her hands in front of her, she headed in the direction of the gym, probably guessing it would be that way. I walked to the last door I hadn’t checked and went to knock it.

“Yoriko?”

I looked behind me, seeing that Kane was emerging from the hidden room. I didn’t think anything of it; after all, he’d told me that’s where he’d be. Of course, that meant he knew what was going on.

“Akako’s dead,” I said anyway. “She’s in the gym.”

“I am aware,” he said as predicted. “You do not feel Despair towards her passing?”

“Don’t try and put me in the same category as you,” I snapped. “I do care that Akako is dead. I understand people will miss her. But...”

Kane huffed. “It is exactly why I told Kenjiro to stay one of us. Now he is emotionally distraught.”

“Or maybe you’re failing to see the big picture,” I muttered, which he luckily didn’t hear.

With that, we walked back to the Gym, seeing that D-002 was tapping along impatiently. “Finally! What, you fall into a hole on your way?!”

“Just shut up and hand the files over.” I was already at Akako’s side, beginning to check over her body. As I did, Kenjiro gritted his teeth, pulling his mask up to hide the fact he was doing it, and the gentle ping of the files going through on our watches made me check in tandem.

“The Victim is Akako Mori. She was found in the gym at around noon. The cause of death was a single stab upwards through the skull.”

I read that aloud to everyone. What I didn’t say aloud was the secret hint, which was both unnecessary and a given at this point.

‘The killer is not a Shadow.’ Of course they weren’t; Kenjiro was present in the room it had happened with two other witnesses and Kane was on the other side of the facility. There was next to no way they could be the killers, especially with Kenjiro’s new found emotions.

As I went over the body, I remembered that Kenjiro was standing over me and looked up at him. “... Kenjiro.”

He looked down. “What?”

“... Never mind.”

I began going over Akako’s body with gentle touches. It felt weird; I was doing on an autopsy while the boyfriend of said woman watched. Akako’s clothing didn’t help my case, considering that she was barely dressed for this sort of procedure, but I knew I had to. That was all I could do to help this case.

Osen did eventually walk over as everyone else left. “S-She... She was alive, just seconds before. I took my eyes off of her for thirty seconds, tops...”

I looked over my shoulder. “You saw her die?”

“N-No, not, saw, I...” Osen was desperately trying to compose herself. “She was alive, and we were doing Yoga, and I put my nose to the mat and then...”

I sighed. “Well, in any case, I believe that it wasn’t you.”

“Y-You do?” Osen almost sounded shocked. “H-How?”

“The stab doesn’t go all the way through.” I turned Akako’s shocked face to the side, flinching and closing her eyes in respect. “Look. The wound is present in the front of the head, but not in the back.”

I watched her look it over before nodding. “I see... so that means it couldn’t have been done from above?”

“Also means that you and whoever was witness to it couldn’t have been the killer,” I explained. “Who else was with you?”

“Um... Kenjiro a-and Hiso.” Osen poked her fingers together. “We were doing yoga. She invited me, to make me feel better, but...”

I sniffed the air. Usually, at this point I was getting used to the copper outlier in the air but all I could smell was that flowery smell that had been floating around for the past while.

I looked to the vents. What _was_ that smell...?

“... I think the cure is making it.” Osen spoke so suddenly that I forgot that she could probably tell what I was thinking. “You smell the flowers too, don’t you?”

I nodded, a little confused. “What an odd turn of events... How soon after did you notice the smell?”

“I don’t know!” Osen sniffled. “I was sitting there, my nose to the mat... No, wait, my back to the mat. I spun over and faced the sky at some point.”

I doubted any of that would be necessary.

“But while I was waiting for Akako to speak, I guess... it was around then. It’s only gotten more poignant now that you’ve mentioned it...”

I nodded. I had only noticed the smell of flowers when I was really paying attention to the air; the medical office a specific smell to it that I would’ve recognised.

“I think I need to have more of a look around.” I patted Osen’s shoulder. “You, go get yourself some water. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Y-Yes.”

That was the only word she said as I walked out and into the lobby area. I would have to search top to bottom to find the things I needed; ten minutes prior, I’d been accepting death in the medical office.

Medical office. That was a place I should make sure was clear.

After an admittedly short time searching the lobby, I headed to the Medical Office, ready to pick up the thing I’d been in possession of. Unfortunately, Hiso had beaten me to it, downing a pair of pills and swallowing hard.

“Hey, Hiso.” I sighed. “Topping up?”

“Yeah, gonna need to for this.” He smiled, but it was clear it was just a mask for the future statement. “I found this. Useful?”

Sure enough, he showed me the small beaker with the crushed up anti-depressants and water I’d downed. I took it from him, sucking air through my teeth.

“Ah, yeah, this... this is my attempt at a cure.”

I chuckled nervously, feeling Hiso’s confused gaze on me. “You see the reason why I think you’re insane?”

“Hey don’t judge me!” I yelled back. “I wasn’t... entirely, dead-set on dying yet.”

“Yes, well, what you did was make a potion that doesn’t even give serotonin.” Hiso chuckled. “I would know.”

I sighed. “Hiso, I’m gonna admit, I have absolutely no idea where to start.”

“Well, try going somewhere you wouldn’t expect.” Hiso motioned with his hand. “We’ve got time, I think.”

Suddenly, however, Cerberus burst through the door. As always, he waited for someone to question him before he could speak.

I was the one to do so. “Cerberus? What’s wrong?”

“I found something.” Cerberus pointed wildly. This was the most active I’d ever seen him. “In the room with the weapons! Come on!”

I quickly followed him, not bothering to wave at Hiso to follow. I was led into the Weapons Room, so called because it had weapons in it from different periods of the world. Sure enough, he pointed to the back where a bloody katana lay bare for us both to see.

I walked over, picking up the weapon. The blood was fresh- no doubt it was what was used to kill Akako. I didn’t even need to look at the wound again to compare.

That meant, whoever had killed Akako, had used the sword to kill her. My theory was beginning to add up.

“It’s weird,” I found myself saying. “The way I’m thinking this kill was set up makes all the more sense.”

“That’s not all that’s weird.” Cerberus luckily took my comment as a direct statement. “It’s the fact that this room... it doesn’t seem to have any place to put this sword, wouldn’t you say?”

I looked around. To my surprise, he was right- the room was practically chock full of weaponry, save the one single area that had a missing slingshot. The katana was out of place, not for being bloody but for being too big to slot in anywhere.

“That means this weapon came from somewhere else.” I put the katana back, just to remember where it had come from. “We have to find where.”

Cerberus stared at the katana for a moment. “A wonderful design, would you not agree? Such beauty in a weapon like this. And it appears the hilt is made of gold...”

I looked at my hand.

“Shame it’s not Gold Leaf. That stuff comes off in spades... all we’d have to do is identify the handprint.”

With that, Cerberus and I walked out into the hallway. We met with Sun-Sing, who was busy trotting towards the bedrooms, but we stopped her in her tracks.

“Sun-Sing.” I called. “Any ideas?”

Sun-Sing turned and shook her head. “I’m looking everywhere, Yoriko. You’d think there’d be evidence somewhere...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cerberus took over. “We’ll find something.”

As they spoke, I slipped away, a small notice appearing in my hand. I walked through the door room to the Grand Hallway, and then over to the Armour Room, pushing my way in.

The Armour Room had seven sets of armour in it. I wasn’t the kind to know what each one was, but I remembered something during my search of the place- they were all holding things relating to the period they came from.

And sure enough... The Samurai set was missing its weapon. The hands of the mannequin gripped onto thin air, one of the fingers broken like it had been ripped away.

The katana in the Weapons Room suddenly made a lot less sense.

As I was heading out the door, however, I saw something else. There were scrape marks on the floor next to the Modern Soldier set, clearly there in the dust of the room. I smirked, pushing the set back the way it had gone, revealing exactly what had been under it.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw it was a trapdoor, the kind that would usually enter into a wine cellar or something of that regard. I was amazed; I hadn’t seen one since I’d been at home.

I headed down, using the stepladder provided. My head barely scraped the ceiling of the passageways underneath, and I took the chance to peek down them.

It was dark. Well, slightly. I wasn’t sure if ‘Dark’ would be the right word- the lights from above cascaded through the floorboards, making the place sort of... grey?

I’ve never been good at describing things, as you can tell.

Well, in that greyness, I immediately recognised the layout of the tunnels. They were laid out exactly like the hallway in the facility above, and the rooms they broke off into were the same size and shape as the rooms they mirrored from underneath. There wasn’t anything in those rooms- I did check- but it did solidify my theory of how Akako was killed.

Akako was killed from below.

It was now a case of figuring out who.

_Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong..._

“Alright! It’s time for the class trial! Please, make your way to the game room!”

I blinked. It hadn’t felt like that long, but it must’ve been half an hour. I quickly went over the evidence to myself as I made my way up, mentally bringing up everything before I saw it.

It was as I entered the game room that I realised something.

I had no alibis.

“SALUTATIONS, Hapless Students!” D-002 waved from his special place. “Are you all ready for--”

“Pull up the booths and shut up.”

From behind me, Kenjiro spoke coldly. It was like when he’d spoken as a Shadow- however, there was more emotion in it. Anger. Anguish.

Despair.

D-002 did as he was told, making the room move downwards and into familiar territory. We knew our places by now- I slotted myself in between Sun-Sing and the portrait of the deceased Cho, ignoring that her X was made to look like a pair of open scissors.

I looked at Akako’s, and got pretty much the same reaction seeing the lines of her X were more bendy, insinuating back to her Yoga abilities.

Then, my eyes drifted to Umon’s. I hadn’t thought about him in a long time. The clown who went insane in front of his posse. His X had an O in the middle, acting like a clown nose. A ‘Circus Entertainer’ who burnt down his own circus.

What fate lay in store for us in this trial? The killer of Akako lay amongst the remaining nine of us. Someone here had killed not only the Tsundere, but the trust of the group.

And it was up to us to bring them to justice.

**TRIAL BEGIN- ALL RISE!**

**\------------------**

D-FILE: “The Victim is Akako Mori. She was found in the gym at around noon. The cause of death was a single stab upwards through the skull.”  
  


SPECIAL HINT: The killer is not a Shadow.

BODY AUTOPSY: As claimed above, the only wound Akako has suffered is a stab-like wound to the forehead. The strike would’ve killed her instantly. The wound does not go through her head, simply stopping after the forehead.

THE YOGA SESSION: Akako invited Kenjiro, Hisonora and Osen to join her in her yoga session. After all participants put their forehead on the floor, Akako was supposed to give the command to release the position, but she never did.

THE CURE: The smell of flowers was pumped around the entire facility. As such, everyone suffering from the Virus was cured almost immediately.

YORIKO’S ‘CURE’: Before the Cure was distributed, Yoriko tried his hand at making his own cure. What he succeeded in doing was watering down Anti-Depressants into a paste that didn’t even give the benefit of the anti-depressant.

BLOODIED KATANA: In the Weapons Room, a bloody katana is resting on the table. It’s clearly been attempted to be wiped off.

ARMOUR ROOM: in the Armour Room, a samurai-style set is missing its weapon. The Modern Soldier set has also been noticeably moved.

UNDERPASSAGES: Under the Modern Soldier’s mannequin is a passageway. It leads from the armour room to underneath all the first area rooms- the gym, the lobby, the lounge, the kitchen, the canteen and the bedrooms.


	28. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIAL- PART 1

**TRIAL- PART 1**

“I shall begin with a basic explanation of the class trial. The game is simple! If you committed the murder, your task as the Blackened is to lie and deceive your way out of this. If you are innocent, you are considered the Spotless, and you will be fighting to stop the Blackened from escaping! If the Blackened wins, they will be granted their greatest desire, as well as freedom, but if the Spotless wins the game will continue; but you’ll all live. You have two hours- begin!”

Hiso sighed. “You realise you’ve repeated that twice now, right?”

“It’s programmed into me,” D-002 mentioned offhandedly.

“Of course it is,” Hiso said.

Osen chirped as she made her point. “A-Akako... She was a good person. Maybe a bit difficult to be around, but...”

“I’m sorry.”

I looked up at Kenjiro. “Don’t be. This isn’t your fault.”

“I... I should’ve...”

Masa seemed to pick up immediately what he was saying. “Kenjiro, stop. This isn’t your fault, like how... C-Cho wasn’t mine.”

“Alright, there’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves.” I tried to push in. “Come on, we have time. We just need to--”

“Hey, Yoriko.” My attempt to push it was met with Motosuki looking over at me. “Do you mind if I... you know?”

“... Hm?” I looked to him.

“Alrighty.” Motosuki sighs. “Ladies and Gentlemen...”

He smiled... and in that moment, I saw something in his face that I had never seen before.

“It was me.”

... The silence was deafening. It should’ve been- Motosuki had just... what? Admitted he was the killer? Took the blame and was trying to deceive us? I could think which one I wanted it to be, and it wasn’t the one I think it should’ve been.

“... Motosuki?” Osen looked at him with a teary eye. “You’re... you’re lying, right?”

Motosuki responded with a shrug. “You know, to be honest... I’ve had enough with this facility. I’m sick and tired of D-002 and his fucking... stupid things.”

I gave him a weird look. “Motosuki?”

“Look!” Motosuki’s voice rose. “You know what the hardest part is?! It’s knowing that there’s shit going on behind the scenes that nobody else can fucking know is happening! It’s knowing that I’m stuck here with people that are trying to survive with the idea that they’re not even alive anymore!”

Sun-Sing began shivering. “M-Motosuki, you’re scaring me...”

“It’s knowing that, after everything I’ve done, I’m back here in this damn facility with people I’ve already watched die!” Motosuki yelled at the top of his lungs. “People who you betrayed and watched die already!”

That’s when I finally stopped him. “Wait, Motosuki... you’re saying that...?”

“That’s right.” He stomped. “I’ve been here before!”

From the way he said it... A tone of complete seriousness and anger... I believed it. Instantly. I wasn’t about to doubt passion like that, even without the evidence to back it up.

“So what are you trying to say?” I asked him. “Are you saying that you knew us before this?”

“I’m saying that I’ve watched you die.” Motosuki looked around. “All of you, die. I’m sorry to say this, but I...”

He paused. It was like he was trying to resist the urge to say something more important, but...

“I’ve killed before. I’ve killed Akako before.”

“Y-You’re not making any sense...” Sun-Sing admitted. “Please, slow down! What do you mean?”

“What does it sound like?!” Motosuki roared back. “I... I don’t understand what happened but... I suddenly just REMEMBERED everything! I was in the hidden room, and then D-002 twirled in and suddenly... I remembered.”

“... We need to discuss this,” I told the others.

The ‘discussion’ came with a strange twist- I felt like nobody wanted to get involved with it.

“S-So... Motosuki’s been in a killing game before?” Sun-Sing asked.

“Not just a killing game...” Hisonora finally spoke. “A killing game that we’ve been involved in.”

“And he...” Kane twirled his hand. “He’s killed Akako before, and he did it again.”

“But that makes no sense!” Osen yelled. “How the hell does he know?! _He didn’t know anything about the kill_!”

And in that moment, it all made sense. It all made too much sense.

I flicked to the Underpassages clue.

“Motosuki, can I ask a question?” I looked at him. “Does the mention of Underpassages mean anything to you?”

Motosuki rolls his eyes. “If this is asking me about the Underpassages under the entire facility, then yes I’m aware.”

“Then you’re aware of the entrances to them, too.” I drummed my fingers on the podium. “You’re aware of the entrances to it.”

“Under the Modern Armour set in the Armour room.” Motosuki smirked.

I nodded. It lined up well- too well. My theory was beginning to come into fruition... in the worst possible way.

“Ah, I’m sorry, everyone.” Motosuki took a weirdly casual stance. “I guess it sounds stupid, but... I didn’t want to have to repeat the trial that cost me my sanity the first time.”

“I need to... I need to ask.” Osen spoke quietly. “Why would you do this again? If you’ve done it before, then...”

“To be honest?” Motosuki leant on his podium. “I... The second I remembered, I planned out the entire kill in my head. Trapped in the facility with... with ghosts of my past... just didn’t seem fun, you know?”

“You keep saying that...” Kane spoke aloud. “What do you mean by that? What do you mean ‘Ghosts of your past’?”

Motosuki tapped his foot. “If I say... you need to promise not to freak out.”

A collective nod bounced the room.

“... We’ve all been in a killing game before.” Motosuki bit the inside of his cheek. “All of us. Every person, from the dead to the alive.”

I don’t know if it was my fickle eyes, but I thought I saw Motosuki’s eye flash with indecision.

“... And it... It’s different. Different than last time. Different than what I remember.” Motosuki was clearly pushing himself now. “Except for this one. I made sure this one was the same.”

“... How close is ‘the same’?” Hiso asked.

With that, another discussion went underway. It was weird; we didn’t need to do this. If Motosuki was telling the truth which I heavily doubt he wasn’t, then we could surely just end it here and vote for him, but there was... so much we hadn’t discovered that we needed to.

Motosuki began the discussion repeating himself. “I tried to make sure this kill was as close to the previous one.”

“Okay, but what does that mean?” Kane asked.

“It means exactly as it sounds!” Motosuki yelled back. “I killed Akako previously, too. But in that one, I succeeded, and I...”

Sun-Sing shook her head. “But why?! Why would you do it again?!”

Motosuki had no answer. He just stood there, angry with himself. It was Osen who broke the silence again.

“Motosuki... _You were going to hide the fact_ you did it again, weren’t you?”

I suddenly picked up something there. Sure enough, Motosuki’s plan was... strangely hallowed out. It was different to the others.

I flicked to the Bloodied Katana evidence.

“Motosuki.” I looked to him. “You claim that this kill is exactly the same as the last time you did it.”

“Yep.” His response was casual. It made me feel ill.

“And... And you claim you made it as close to the previous time as possible.” I itched at my neck. “So that means the evidence was put in the exact same places as last time... right?”

Motosuki nodded. “Where are you going with this, Yoriko?”

“Motosuki, I’m not saying what you think I am.” I prefaced the next statement with an apology. “But I think you’re lying.”

Motosuki, in turn, crossed his arms. “And why is that?”

“Because... that means you were trying to hide the fact you were the killer.” I motioned with my hand. “But you’re being... strangely co-operative.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Motosuki gave me a weird look.

“It means that... out of all the evidence...” I pointed to my watch. “You willingly left the Bloody Katana for the group to find. Cerberus found it in the Weapons Room, and I was able to trace it back to the Armour Room, the original place it came from.”

Motosuki wasn’t following. “Uh... huh...”

“See how easily I was able to trace the evidence back to the room?” I didn’t like hyping myself up, but I needed to get the point across. “It would’ve only been a matter of time before I’d figure out that the evidence pointed to you.”

“Yeah, well.” Motosuki grinned suddenly. “You were dead before then.”

I paused. “... Sorry?”

“You heard me,” He continued. “I told you, it was different. You were the first victim, funnily enough- perhaps the idea of a Detective getting mixed up in it all was enough for someone to hunt you down and murder you.”

I gulped.

“It was you, Osen, Kane and Yuno!” His voice picked up again. “And I actually got with Yuno in that killing game, right before Osen murdered her! The motives were different, everything was different... but the facility was the same.”

“That’s how you knew where the entrance to the Underpassages were,” Hisonora gathered. “And that the Armour Room would have what you need.”

Motosuki blew air through closed lips. “To be honest? Things haven’t changed. Everyone is just like they were back then. Umon was... less insane, granted, but he was still yelling about ending the game. He even thanked me on his way out.”

“... So what changed?” Osen asked, her voice wavering. “Why would you just... Remember that?”

Motosuki sighed. “I don’t know.”

Luckily... someone did.

“I do.”

For the first time since the beginning of the trial, Kenjiro spoke. His voice was sharp and angry like a sword, and his eyes glowed with an almost palpable pain that I couldn’t begin to describe.

“Yoriko... it was you who helped me understand.” I watched as pulled his mask down, having used it covered his face. “Because if it wasn’t for you, I... I don’t think I’d have understood at all.”

Hisonora seemed to catch on quick. “... Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“What are we thinking?” Motosuki gave a confused tone. “I don’t do that much.”

In spite of the cruel joke, Kenjiro continued. “Motosuki... You have O-Type blood, don’t you?”

My eye twitched then. Out of all the reasons he could’ve chose...

He chose the only one I agreed with.

“Wait!” Sun-Sing spoke aloud. “That means everyone with O-Type blood would be able to remember what happened before, right?”

Hisonora crossed his arms. “Well, I certainly don’t.”

“What do you mean, you don’t?” Kenjiro looked to him. “You have O-Type blood, don’t you?”

“What?” He tilted his head. “No. I have A-. What gave you that idea?”

Osen looked down at the feet of her booth guiltily. Kenjiro gave her an angry look.

“There’s still someone else who does.” Kenjiro looked then to Cerberus. “Cerberus, you said you had O type blood.”

Cerberus nodded. “I’m not sure what Motosuki is talking about. I’m not remembering a previous killing game.”

“Well, maybe that’s because you died?” Sun-Sing predicted. “Maybe your memories got wiped because you weren’t a survivor.”

“Wait, how does THAT make sense?” Kane asked in return. “You’re telling me Motosuki got his memories but Cerberus didn’t, just because Cerberus was executed.”

I could sense tension in the air, so I instead decided to move it along. “Well, we know that Motosuki is telling the truth about a previous killing game... after all, if he killed Akako in the exact same way as he did in that one--”

**“Here’s your second opinion.”**

My eyes darted to Kenjiro, who spoke like he was about ready to strangle me. “H-Huh?”

“Stop. Talking.” Kenjiro was barely restraining violence. “Motosuki didn’t kill her. It’s not possible.”

“Not... possible.” I repeated the words back to him, hoping that he’d understand that he was talking nonsense. “Kenjiro, I understand you’re upset, but you can’t deny this! Motosuki himself even admitted it!”

“NO!” Kenjiro yelled, the denial prominent in his throat. “There’s no way! He can’t have done this!”

With that, we began a one-on-one debate.

Kenjiro started. “I refuse to believe this! It can’t be true. It just can’t be! I’m supposed to believe that... that he killed her?!”

I bit my lip. “Kenjiro, this isn’t up for debate. He’s the one who did this...”

“And for what?!” He replied. “Motosuki wouldn’t do this! Motosuki couldn’t have! It has to have been someone else! I-I mean... Hiso and Osen were in the room with me! _They could’ve done it_!”

“Let me make this clear for you!” I flicked to the Body Autopsy. “Ken, you were there when I was doing it... you surely saw her body. You surely saw what happened to her...”

Kenjiro pulled his mask over his mouth.

“Akako died to one stab, up through the forehead.” I understand it was blunt, but it was the only way he’d understand. “It didn’t come out from the back, and it didn’t enter through her skull from behind. It couldn’t have been Osen, or Hiso, or you.”

“Unless you’re willing to say that Akako did it to herself,” Hiso quipped.

Motosuki sighed. “Guys... please.”

Kenjiro stopped then, just closing his eyes and turning away. It wasn’t obvious at first, but I could tell that he was resisting the urge to cry.

Motosuki also looked about halfway there, but he was hiding it far better. “Alright... guess you guys gotta vote now, huh?”

“... No.”

Suddenly, Masa’s voice piped in. For the first time, I think I finally felt some form of free will coming from her speech as she finally looked at the rest of us with her heavy eyes.

“Motosuki, you’re hiding something,” She continued, “and we’re not finishing this trial until you tell us the truth.”

Motosuki then looked down. He sighed heavily.

“... Are you sure?” He said into the ground. “Because the truth isn’t fun.”

Masa nods intently.

“... Alright then.” Motosuki looked up... and over at Kenjiro. “Ken.”

Kenjiro looked back at him.

“You might wanna show them the thing.”

**INTERMISSION**


	29. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIAL- PART 2

Kenjiro and Motosuki looked at each other, with a powerful aura in the air.

“What do you mean?” Kenjiro finally huffed a sigh and asked. “You’re asking me about... what exactly?”

“Oh, don’t bullshit me now, Ken.” Motosuki crossed his arms. “You and I both know you slipped it off her corpse.”

“Slipped... what?” Osen asked.

“Yoriko.” Motosuki pointed over at me. “Care to bring up the thing?”

“If you’re referring to the body autopsy...” I quickly flicked to the evidence provided. “I didn’t find anything on her body. Only thing there was the wound.”

Sun-Sing thought for a second. “... Who was the first one to find the body again?”

“That’s the thing,” Osen replied. “Due to the yoga session, it would’ve been all three of us; Hiso, me and... Ken.”

“And wasn’t he sitting over the body when we found them?” Kane continued. “I was the last one to see it, and even then Kenjiro was sitting by her side.”

“Where did you come from again?” Masa asked him gently.

“From the secret room,” Kane gave her a quick smile. “Met with Yoriko after coming out from them.”

Kenjiro pulled his mask back down. “I don’t... get what you’re implying.”

“What I’m implying is this,” Motosuki clicked. “Ken... Stop hiding the knife.”

I felt a twinge of pain hit my throat as Kenjiro paused, and then relented; removing what appeared to be a stainless steel knife from his pocket. It wasn’t a dagger like from the Weapons Room- it was a kitchen knife, the kind that you’d use in cooking.

And right now, Kenjiro was holding it like he was sick of it.

“There it is.” Motosuki sighed. “You can just drop it, Ken. Only thing I needed was to know that you really did take it.”

“But...” Osen quibbled. “Where did he get it from?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I responded. “If what I understand is true... Then Kenjiro took the knife off of Akako’s body before I could find it.”

Kenjiro stayed completely silent, gently putting the knife down on his podium.

“Which means Akako had a knife.” Hisonora connected the final two dots together. “Which means...”

Osen gulped. “S-She... she was planning to kill one of us?”

Motosuki sighed. “No. Not one of you. Someone in particular.”

I looked between the three people. I didn’t really know who- Kenjiro was her boyfriend, Hisonora was a great friend and Osen was too sick to pose a threat to her. Why those three in particular? Was Motosuki referring to something I didn’t know about?

In that case, what on Earth would it be?

... I didn’t need to wait for an answer as I heard Kenjiro mumble under his breath.

_“I never should’ve told her.”_

With that, I slammed my hand on the counter. “Kenjiro! You’re hiding something! Just come out and tell us for crying out loud!”

Kenjiro shuddered suddenly, as if he was a child being yelled at. “I-I...”

“Yoriko, don’t rush him.” Motosuki spoke in a much calmer tone than I did. “Because... I know he’ll do the right thing. He’ll tell us in time.”

Motosuki locked eyes with Kenjiro, and time seemed to stand still between them.

“... You’re not the person you’re trying to be, Bro.”

Kenjiro finally broke at those words. A single tear dripped from his eye and down his cheek as he spoke aloud with a powerful voice that he hadn’t used yet.

“Akako... Akako was going to kill Hisonora.” Kenjiro explained. “Because... Because s-she thought he was the mastermind.”

Hisonora seemed to recoil at those words. “I... what? Excuse me? Where’d she get that idea from?!”

Kenjiro took a deep breath. “From me.”

Osen also piped in. “A-And me. I’m sorry, Hiso... I know, it sounds stupid, but I’ve been thinking about you being the mastermind and it really got under my skin! I... I know it sounds stupid but evidence was lining up and... I...”

I then looked at Hisonora, who had a weirdly placant smirk on his face. He nodded to himself, almost as if accepting what he was hearing.

“Yeah... Yeah, I have been giving away those sort of signs, haven’t I?” Hisonora chuckled. “I just... I guess I just need to say it huh?”

D-002 whirred to life. “You pause it there, mister. Save it for after.”

Confused, I tried to continue. “S-So... why did you think--”

**“Let’s get it going, then!”**

Hisonora’s voice boomed over mine in a single second. I wasn’t used to hearing such velocity and I flinched harder than I ever had in my life. He wasn’t even yelling- he was just trying to get attention.

“Alright, alright, I admit, I’m a little hurt about that.” Hisonora shrugged, giving me a happy expression. “But at the end of the day, I’m no mastermind.”

For some reason, my mind told me to fight that. “Okay... how can you prove you aren’t?”

“Well, there are a couple things, but if you really need the long and short of it...!”

And thus began a strangely weighted one-on-one debate. It wasn’t like the others- it was we were both agreeing on something, but in different ways.

Hisonora started up with a rally. “I don’t want to push blame, Yoriko, but if there’s anyone here keeping secrets it’s you. You’ve been hiding the fact you’re a detective for a while, haven’t you?”

I paused. “H-How... do you know that? I never told anyone that.”

Hisonora ignored my question. “To be honest, I’m having a hard time agreeing with your attempts to fight without giving me trust. I’ve been just as helpful as everyone else, haven’t I?”

I nodded my head. “Yes, but that doesn’t excuse you from being secretive. You need to tell us all your talent, for starters...”

Again, Hisonora continued without answer. “Sure, I know a lot, and I know more than seems healthy, but that doesn’t mean I know why or what has been going on. All I remember is that **you mixed Sertraline tablets into water** to try and make a cure, and--”

It was after hearing that, I got a strange theory in my head. One that didn’t go away until I said it aloud.

“Hiso... how did you know the pills were Sertraline?”

Hiso tilted his head in confusion. “I mean, I’m aware of the types of pills in the medicine cabinet, Yoriko. I have to make sure I take the right type.”

“Okay... But you knew specifically it was Sertraline,” I continued. “The last I checked, there were four types of anti-depressants. How did you know specifically it was the type I used?”

“That’s... quite a far stretch, Yoriko, even for me.” Sun-Sing piped up. “I mean, you’re going to push mastermind blame onto Hiso just because he knew the types of pills in the medicine cabinet?”

“I knew the types of pills too,” Kenjiro quipped. “Does that make me the mastermind?”

I sighed. “No. I just find it weird how he knows I used 11 pills of Sertraline in the mixture.”

“Actually it was fourteen-” And suddenly, Hiso’s face scrunched. THAT was what I was looking for; the tiniest of slip ups. After all...

How would he know that?

How would he know to correct me on a total that even _I_ didn’t know?

“Admit it, Hiso...” I pointed at him. “Just what are you, exactly?”

Hiso blinked. He sighed, looking at D-002, and then back at the rest of us. His lips opened, and closed, and opened again. It was like he was trying to say it- trying to say exactly what was wrong, what exactly he was here for.

But nothing came out. Not until Masa spoke again.

“Hiso... please.” Masa looked to Cho’s portrait. “For her.”

“Don’t...” When he did speak, his voice was low and wavering. “Use her against me. Please.”

“Are you finally going to talk?” I asked him again. “Are you going to say what’s going on?”

He tutted. “... Sorry, D-triple eight. Guess I got to finally come out with it.”

D-002 didn’t speak, just watching the group.

“Alright.” He took a nice deep breath in. “Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Hisonora Yanjuu. I am a twenty nine year old man.”

Well... not what I was expecting, but still quaint to hear. “So you’re a former Ultimate?”

“Wouldn’t really call it that, but yes, a Former Ultimate student. I am originally from Japan, but moved to Iraq with my parents after we could no longer stay in the country.” He continued, the only pauses being for breath. “Along the way to our... new home... We got stopped in the middle of a warzone. Turns out, Iraq has been going through one for a long time, and we’d stumbled somehow into the epicentre of it.”

“Talk about unlucky,” I heard Motosuki say under his breath.

“I was fifteen at the time,” He moved on. “We had to move into a bunker with three other families. Me, my mom, my dad and my baby sister. We stayed down there, rationing food the best we could, but...”

He paused... and then continued.

“Two weeks later, there’s this pounding on the bunker door. ‘Open up!’ he yelled. ‘I’ve got wounded!’ and, well... I did. I let the man in, ready to help tend to the ‘wounded’ he was bringing with him.” He stopped breathing at this point, using his last breath to get his final sentences out. “And, in he came, cradling this little bundle of rags that I assumed was a baby and... he... just... it wasn’t a baby, it...”

We all felt our hearts go cold.

“It was a bomb.” He looked at the ground. “An explosive full of Mustard Gas. And I had been standing by the entrance, watching it close, and the last thing I heard was... the sound of the detonation before it all becomes fuzzy.”

I think I hear Masa choke on her own gasp. I have to resist my own one in response.

“Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the bunker, wearing the only gas mask that was stocked.” He motions with his hand to the shape of it. “In my panic, I’d slipped it on. It was right next to the entrance opening switch, so... instinct took over.”

“W-What... happened?” Osen tried to speak. “What happened to...?”

He looked to her. Of course, I already knew the answer, but he was going to spell it out for us.

“Dead.” Blunt words escaped him. “They’re dead. All three of them, died in the explosion. Not even enough parts to collect for a funeral service.”

Sun-Sing’s face emerged with tears.

“I moved back to Japan the following year, after getting out of the hospital. Joined Hope’s Peak with the last of my family’s funds to try and make them proud.” Hiso then kissed his fingers, pointing to the sky. “Did 14 years of it. Got into the Talent Block after just two weeks under the guise of the Ultimate Storyteller... but that talent became obsolete quick.”

“Ten years...” Osen was speaking to herself again. “That’s... five courses, right?”

“Not even,” Kane explained. “Three years per course, right? That means he’s barely gotten through his fifth.”

“Actually...” he laughed to himself. “Turns out, I have quite a lucky streak when developing new talents. I have an Eidetic Memory, meaning things I remember stay in there forever. I became an expert at English, Maths, History, Science, you name it, and I’ve probably done it. Unlike with the other students, I was taking my Ultimate Title Exam at the end of every month and just as quickly moving onto the next.”

I was shocked. Hisonora was capable of all of that? I could see Osen was almost jealously staring at him, her Honour Student Title apparently in jeopardy over this.

“And it’s strange,” He continued relentlessly. “Because I remember meeting you all, and I remember getting confused. ‘Hey, I never got that talent’ or ‘hey, that’s one of the ones I never felt like going for’. The obvious and the less obvious, the easy and the difficult... All of you have talents that I never applied for.”

“Coincidence?” Motosuki barked. “I think NOT!”

Hiso shrugged. “So there you go. It doesn’t have a canon title, but... I like to call myself the Ultimate Jack-Of-All-Trades.”

A light bulb hit the front of my mind then. “Jack Of All Trades... Master of none.”

“But better than a Master of One,” He finished.

D-002 then slammed his claw onto his overhang. “Alright! You’ve talked enough! We’re here to discuss the kill of Akako, not your personal story!”

Hisonora laughed at that remark. “Ah, yeah... sorry, I got a little carried away. Where were we?”

“We were discussing why Akako would want you dead,” Motosuki told him.

He paused. “Can we go back to discussing my personal life instead?”

“I thought we already underlined that point,” Sun-Sing pointed to Kenjiro. “It was because Kenjiro told her that he thought you were the mastermind.”

“I’m still not entirely convinced you aren’t, either,” Osen muttered.

“... I am.”

I broke the tension. Sure to God, I was finally free of the notion that Hisonora was a bad person- he was nowhere near bad, either. He was an honestly good person, fighting his depression by making himself the best he could be.

And in that conversation, I finally broke through. I finally felt something I hadn’t felt for a long, long, time.

Betrayal.

“... Motosuki.” I looked to him. “You claim you’re the killer of this case, correct?”

“Oh, great, here we go again- Yes, I do. Why, you got a problem with that?” He gave me a look of ire. “Yoriko, I hope you’re not about to continue arguing me about--”

“Tell me, Motosuki.” I pointed at him. “What issue did you have for killing her again?”

Motosuki opened his mouth...

And his face fell.

“... Oh, fuck.” He suddenly chuckled. “I’ve forgotten.”

“You... forgot?” Sun-Sing replied. “What do you mean, ‘you forgot’? Wasn’t it about us all having been in the killing game before?”

Motosuki’s eye twitched. “... Holy shit. Yoriko, you...”

I nodded.

My plan had worked brilliantly.

“Masa, thank you for the assist.” I clicked. “It was a pretty haphazard one, but you did your part brilliantly.”

Masa gave me a confused look. “I... you’re welcome?”

Sun-Sing questioned me. “Wait, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“I’ve been having a small suspicion for a while,” I explained. “I think, Hisonora, you’d have a slight guess to it as well.”

Hisonora nodded. “Why’d you think I kept talking? You’re not the only one good at hiding true intentions, Yoriko.”

Motosuki gave us both the same look. “I, uh, don’t get it. Why does me forgetting something explain--”

“You have ADHD, don’t you Motosuki?”

Motosuki paused. He looked at his hand, which was shaking. “I... Um...”

Bingo.

“ADHD?” Osen asked. “You mean, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?”

“Exactly so,” Kenjiro agreed. “But why does that mean anything to this case? More importantly, why would that cause Motosuki to lie?”

Motosuki shivered. “Hahahaha... Um, Yoriko, you mind like... not saying shit?”

“Unfortunately, Motosuki, I’ve managed to get something out of you that you tried to keep hidden.” I quickly run it down. “Your constant happiness, your ability to make everything a joke. You glaze over during trials, going from nothing to everything at once. You’ve even shown signs of withdrawal these past few days due to your medication being removed from the rotation.”

“Not to mention...” Hisonora pointed at his own face. “You hyper-fixated on the story I told. To the point where you forgot all about your little ‘story’.”

Motosuki blinked twice.

“You’re doing it again right now!” Hiso pointed at him.

“No I’m not!” He yelled back. “Just... got something in my eye.”

I chuckled. “The Chaos Theory works its magic once again.”

“In... any case.” Kane tried to butt in. “Does that mean Motosuki’s entire story was... fake?”

“Not only that, but...” Sun-Sing looks at her hands. “We’ve been discussing practically nothing for the past hour!”

“Not just an hour!” I heard D-002 chuckle, up on his platform. “You’ve got twenty minutes left, as a matter of fact!”

“Twenty minutes?!” Osen yelled.

“Well, about eighteen minutes nineteen seconds.” D-002 looked at a silver pocket watch he was holding. “Eighteen seconds. Seventeen seconds. Sixteen--”

“ALRIGHTWEGETITLETSMOVEON!” Sun-Sing suddenly screamed.

Motosuki made a guilty face. “Ah... I’m really sorry everyone. I’ve been deceiving you this entire trial, trying to get you all to vote for me.”

“And for WHAT?” Sun-Sing yelled at him. “You’ve been nothing but a problem this entire time! I genuinely thought it was you!”

Motosuki looked away, running his hands through his hair. “Alright, hey. Let me... Let me make it up to you guys really quick.”

Kenjiro adjusted his mask. Osen spoke what I was thinking. “How on Earth are you planning to do that?”

“Well... I think I better tell you guys the truth.” Motosuki looked up at us all. “The ACTUAL, truth. The truth that you need to know.”

Hiso tutted. “Make it quick.”

Motosuki took a nice, big breath. “I actually... met with Akako. Before Cho’s death. She was in the kitchen...”

**...**

Motosuki walked into the kitchen, spooking Akako who instantly tried to hide the kitchen knife she was holding behind her back. “AH!”

Motosuki looked at her, confused. “Hey... Akako. What’s up, girl?”

“Ugh, don’t speak to me like that,” She spat at him. “Makes me think we’re dating.”

Motosuki tilted his head, seeing the gleam of the knife. “What’s, uh... whatcha got there?”

Akako swallowed. “A knife.”

“Why, uh, why do you have that?” Motosuki tried to act casual, but he was currently bricking it. “You gonna chop some onions... maybe some parsley?”

Akako blushed.

“... Maybe some... human flesh?”

On that word, Akako groaned and put the knife in full view before slotting it into a sheath she’d brought from the Weapons Room. Motosuki’s smile fell as she put the sheath in her bra, specifically in between her breasts to hide it from sight.

“... You won’t get away with it, you know that?” Motosuki exclaimed.

Akako just stared at him, acceptance in her eyes. “Hiso.”

“Hiso? Of all people, you go for the one actually trying to help us all?” Motosuki crossed his arms. “What have you got against us, Akako?”

“What have I got against YOU?!” Akako wildly swung with her arms outwards. “Look around you, Motosuki! This place is no haven! I just want out. I want out, and I’m taking Ken with me.”

Motosuki snorted. “Oh, please. As if D-002 would let him survive.”

... A beat of pause. Motosuki’s face fell again.

“... Y-You... You do want him alive... right?”

Akako suddenly smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile, or an angry smile, or a smile of motherly love- it was a smile that Motosuki never wanted to see again.

A smile of pure, unbridled insanity.

“W-We were destined to be together, Motosuki.” Akako suddenly began blushing intensely. “And fate brought us together. Not luck, not order, not chaos... Fate. True Fate.”

Motosuki backed up as Akako suddenly took a step forward.

“So I’m going to win this trial. I’m going to blame it on you.” Akako’s pupils dilated like a dinosaur’s. “And when I get my freedom, and my true desire to live peacefully with my boyfriend alone... I’ll set up a little shrine in your honour so I can remember the man who let me go.”

“You’re going to kill Ken just so you can have him to yourself?!” Motosuki suddenly shoved her back, gaining confidence he didn’t know he had. “What is WRONG with you?! You’re going to kill us all!”

“And I’ll find myself living with the man I love.” She smiles again, this time even wider. “Just us, in a little cabin. Away from the perverts and the... rapists and the whores who told me I’m just attracting gazes. Away from the people who made me work for my meals with my lower body.”

Akako slammed her hand to the one side of Motosuki’s head, making him flinch in fear.

“Just me, and the one I love. Out in the woods. Together.” Akako smacked her lips. “Pure. Bliss.”

Motosuki tried to speak again, but Akako put her finger over his lips.

“Shush,” She told him in a hushed whisper. “Don’t try to change my mind, Motosuki. I’m all made up.”

Motosuki pulled at his jacket. “You’re going to kill everyone...”

“I know.” Akako giggled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Yoga Session to plan. You’re free to join us, if you’d like.”

She laughed heavily as she walked out the door, leaving Motosuki behind. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead down to the wooden floorboards.

“I... I have to do something.” Motosuki looked around. “I have to...”

And with that, he escaped out the door.

**...**

I tugged at my sleeve. “A-Akako... really said all that?”

Motosuki nodded. “Sure as shit. I tried to come tell you guys, but... then the whole situation with Cho happened, and it clouded my mind, and... Soon I found myself in the Armour Room.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, letting him continue.

“I actually found the hidden passage completely by accident,” He explained. I leant next to the soldier mannequin thing and it moved, and I went ass-first through the trap door.”

With a single, solitary glance upwards, something came to the front of my mind.

“... You fell inwards?”

“That’s what I said, wasn’t it?” He asked with a smile.

I remembered the trap door quickly, and something else hit me. Like a wave of nausea that I didn’t even want to think about.

“Motosuki... someone found the passage before you,” I explained. “The trap door opened upwards. There’s no way you went in without it already being open.”

Motosuki looked around. “I... okay, but... Who?”

Who... that was once again the question.

Who had pushed the statue first?

Who had opened the trap door first?

Who had known about the Underpassages, and the connections?

The connections that lead... into... the area below every room in the facility, including the kitchen... and the secret room?

And was aware that there was going to be a kill, and that he could pass it on? And that he was the least likely person to get caught if he just kept his mouth shut and just joined in on every conversation he saw fit?

And...

And the person who slipped up, right at the second half of the trial, by saying that he came out of ‘them’ rather than ‘it’...?

I grimaced, the evidence almost pointing my gaze over to the man in question like a reticule.

“... Kane Sanjuro.”

He looked back at me. “Yes, Yoriko?”

“... It was you, wasn’t it?”

**INTERMISSION (2)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused? Sorry if you are, but this trial is actually so long that I need to split it into three parts. With fifteen minutes left, Yoriko is now in deep trouble with explaining how it could've been his target, so I wanted to save it for a little finale. That'll be the chapter published on Monday.
> 
> Hope you're following so far!  
\- Joseph


	30. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trial- Part 3

“It was me...?”

Kane gave me a look. It was a look of something fierce- A look of tilting faith in my ability.

But a look that the others had given me before.

“Kane, we cannot deny the possibility.” I motioned with my hand. “We’ve got fifteen minutes. In those fifteen minutes, I would like to get to the bottom of this. The bottom of everything.”

“Then we should start, coincidentally...” Hiso checked his watch. “With the Underpassages. After all, they’re the source of Akako’s murder.”

A discussion started up once more.

Masa rubbed her temples. “Mm... this is incredibly confusing. So... Motosuki isn’t the murder, but he was willing to take the fall for someone else, right?”

“Willing is the word, here.” Hiso continued. “Motosuki, can you just tell us who the killer is? You clearly know if you’re willing to put our lives on it.”

Motosuki crossed his arms, looking away.

“And there’s our proof.”

Osen drummed her fingers on the podium. “It was someone who knew the Underpassages were there, right? That’s all it can mean.”

“Not just,” Kenjiro hissed. “It also means that the person who killed Akako has some sort of relation to Motosuki.”

“Well, I have neither,” Kane lied through his teeth. “After all, **there was no entrance to them** in the Secret Room.”

Without the continuity I should be using, I decided to test that theory with the Underpassages evidence. “Well, we don’t know that. After all, I never looked for a trap door in the Secret Room.”

“And... didn’t you say you came from the Secret Room, Kane?” Masa told him. “Or are you going to say you didn’t...?”

“I still feel like Motosuki’s involved somehow...” Osen admitted. “After all, he’s told us the truth- he WAS in the Underpassages.”

“Don’t rush ahead, sweetie,” Sun-Sing told Osen, causing her to blush.

“No, she’s got a good point,” I replied. “Motosuki was in the Underpassages. But I feel like... Kane was there, at the same time.”

“You mean like...” Sun-Sing clicked her fingers a few times, trying to think of the word. “Like an Accomplice or something?”

Motosuki darted his eyes to Kane. Kane didn’t give him the same treatment.

“We’re sort of breaking away from the discussion here, but I think it’s required to ask.” Hiso turned to our host. “Yo, D-30-14.”

“That’s not even CLOSE to my name!” D-002 yelled back.

“Shut up,” Hiso told him bluntly. “What’s the ruling on accomplices in this game? You got a special rule for them?”

D-002 shook his head. “Accomplices are not counted in trials. Performing a kill with an accomplice is just like committing a kill alone- The blackened is the only one to escape, but the blackened is the only one to get executed as well.”

I looked back at the pair, now staring at each other with some sort of connection. Motosuki and Kane... They were both involved in Akako’s murder. That, I didn’t doubt. But now it was a different case; a case of which one actually performed the final blow. The one who became the blackened.

There was a small issue in the back of my mind growing now. I went through the evidence again, making absolutely sure that we had gone over everything.

And my heart skipped a beat when I saw...

“Ten minutes!” D-002 warned us. “If there is no solid addition by the end of this trial, I will force you all to vote!”

Sun-Sing looked to me. There was something in her face; a pathetic begging stance, like she was about to call on me to finish this.

Luckily for her, I felt a tug of something very, very wrong on my chest.

“... The Secret Hint.”

All at once, like I’d fired a gun into the air, everyone’s attention was back on me. Masa spoke the crowd’s words. “What do you mean, the Secret Hint?”

“The Secret Hint... The Blackened isn’t a Shadow.” I looked up at Kane. “It couldn’t be Kane. Because, if you guys remember...”

I had to go back. Back to the end of the second trial, when Kane revealed that he was the final Shadow we had all been searching for. Back when he had shot Umon, and Umon had basically crumpled under his betrayal.

Those words flashed in my head.

“K-Kane... My... dearest... ally... _my right hand man_... you...”

My... Right Hand Man...

I was testing my memory now, because I had to think. I had to continue pulling bits and pieces from it like I was probing my own mind. Umon had stated that Kane had been his ‘Right Hand Man’- A person who works second-in-charge to everyone else.

But... Umon had never said anything knowing Kane was a Shadow... Right?

I blinked, rubbing the sides of my head. There was SOMETHING wrong. A testament in all of this. A word out of place, a mark wrong down the line. I ran my hands through my hair, thinking harder and harder about what I was missing.

And, like a zap of pure energy to the skull, I heard the voice of my saving grace come in.

“Yoriko, you look like you’re about to burst a blood vessel,” Hiso said bluntly. “Stop thinking so hard... it’s clear we’ve already lost.”

ALREADY LOST.

I piped up. “Hiso! You have an eidetic memory, you said?!”

“Uh, yeah, I did...” My sudden outburst caught him off guard. “What do you need me to remember?”

“You were there when Kane and Ken got into that fight, right?”

“I was the one who separated them,” Hiso reminded me. “Why? What are you thinking?”

I drummed my foot on the floor. “Think back to the things they told each other. Think back to the things that they said.”

“Hmm...” Hiso closed his eyes. “I believe Kane just told Ken that he was a failure of a Shadow, right? And Ken said that he was already lost... What are you trying to put down?”

It was a last ditch effort. There was something knitting itself up like a patchwork hat in my mind. I think I had finally seen through D-002’s trick; D-002’s Secret Hint had never been useful, only going as far as to mildly confuse me in the past.

And now I’d broke it. I’d cracked it like a hard-boiled egg.

“D-002...” I had to turn to him to put the final nail in the coffin. “You know who the Shadow are, don’t you?”

“What? Of course.” D-002 checked his claws. “The remaining ones are Kenjiro and Kane. Umon, Hirota and Yuno are already dead.”

Osen, smart as ever, seemed to pick up on what I was putting down.

“... Kane’s not a Shadow... is that what you’re saying?”

Kane crossed his arms. “Preposterous. I am a Shadow.”

“Actually...”

“Seven minutes!”

“... You aren’t.” I felt a smirk rise on my cheek. “Because if you were a Shadow, you wouldn’t be showing emotion.”

“I’m putting on a mask.” Kane looked slightly away. “Just like Ken can do.”

“Oh really?” I leant on the podium. “Then go ahead. Show me your emotionless side.”

Like a pin drop, Kane went quiet. He adjusted his frills, his collar, his suit- everything to get him out of saying anything as beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

“This whole time, you’ve been lying to us.” I put the pressure on. “You’ve been telling us you were the final Shadow, but for what? What gave you any reason to do this?”

“Now hold on!” Kane piped up again. “You’re not giving me a chance to defend myself here!”

However, it was clear no one in the room was buying his story anymore. They were beginning to natter and make their own theories, each one just adding to my own.

“The Armour room is on the opposite side of the facility to the Secret Room...” Osen muttered. “That means he could travel back and forth...”

“The floorboards were wide enough for a katana to slip through,” Kenjiro growled. “That’s more than enough room for sound to drift through...”

“G-Guys, this is... ridiculous!” Kane motioned to us as a group. “I’m not the killer! I wouldn’t even know where to look for a secret entrance...!”

“And if he was under the floorboards, he could push the trapdoor out of place for Motosuki to fall in from,” Hiso tutted. “Then again, the Armour Set would have to be moved, right?”

“And then there’s the case of the Katana...” Masa joined in Hiso’s conversation. “**There’s no evidence to say Kane came in contact with it**...”

“Hold it right there!” I yelled at Masa. “What did you just say?”

“FIVE MINUTES!” D-002 yelled cheerfully.

“Huh?” Masa replied. “Well, I was just saying, how did Kane move the Katana? It’s not like he would be able to move so quickly as to put the Katana in the Weapons Room...”

With an ounce of sympathy, I nodded. “Actually, there is. Kane took the Katana in order to do the deed- but I’m not saying he put it in the Weapons Room.”

I brought up the Bloody Katana hint.

“After all, why not just put it back in the Samurai’s hands? It would be more than easy to place it back to avert suspicion.” I was speeding up my speech. “It looked out of place in the Weapons Room for many reasons, too.”

Kenjiro swallowed. “So what you’re saying is, Kane wasn’t the one to put the Katana in the Weapons Room?”

“Exactly,” I replied. “Because Kane would know exactly where it came from. Someone who didn’t... Someone who only saw Kane perform the deed, rather than do it themselves... Would just assume that the weapon came from the Weapons Room.”

A laugh echoed from the other side of the room, and I found my eyes drifting to Motosuki.

“Well... When you put it that way, you make me sound like an idiot,” Motosuki chuckled coldly. “I think it’s time we drop the shit, Bro.”

Kane gagged. “You idiot! You just gave me away!”

“TWO MINUTES!” D-002 was getting over-excited. It was time to end this.

“Kane, just admit it, please.” I sighed heavily. “You’ve been lying about being a Shadow, you’ve been lying about not knowing the Underpassages, and you’re the one who killed Akako!”

Kane shivered. It almost looked like he was going to deny it.

But he relented. He looked to D-002, then at me, and then at the floor.

“... Fine. It was me.”

I fluffed out my hair. “Thank you.”

“But I’m not going down without one last question...” Kane looked up, an actually happy smile on his tired face. “Did I get you?”

D-002 took that as his opportunity. “Right at the finish line! Well, colour me impressed, Yoriko- I didn’t think you had it in you this time!”

I shook my head. Sentencing a friend to death was not something to be proud of. Even now, I was thinking of how hard I’d fought for it, and it was making me sick.

“Now, if you’d all be as kind as to vote on your watches! I’ll tally the votes for you.” D-002 pointed with his claw. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

“Wait.”

The emotionless voice was out. I looked to Ken, seeing he had pulled his mask up over his mouth. “Yes, Ken?”

Kenjiro looked to at me with... confused eyes. “Hm?”

“You told us to wait,” I replied.

“... No I didn’t.”

“Over here, Yoriko.” My eyes turned where the voice had come from...

And they promptly blinked in upmost surprise.

Because, now, looking me dead in the face was a pair of blunt pink and purple eyes. Looking at me, dusting of the red jacket-style clothing he wore, was Motosuki, his mouth fallen into a grimace.

And he spoke again... and my heart hurt.

“He asked you a question.” Motosuki told me emotionlessly. “Did we trick you?”

Kenjiro was the first to react. “M-Motosuki... You’re...”

“Mhm...” He closed his eyes, tilting his head. “I’m the final Shadow.”

Kane shook his head. “You didn’t need to tell them that, you know.”

“Well, I’m done lying.” Motosuki chopped the air with his hand. “You wanna see the runt of the litter? Here I am. Umon was no runt- he was doing his part exactly as we’d planned. So did everyone else. Everyone except me.”

Kenjiro looked shocked. “I... No, this isn’t possible. I should know it was you!”

“Maybe I’m so insignificant that you forgot.” Motosuki’s smile suddenly returned. “Or maybe it’s because I fought it. Who knows. To be honest, I don’t myself.”

He stretched outwards with his arms.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the final Shadow! And his name is...”

He chuckled suddenly.

“And his name is John Cena!”

Suddenly, Motosuki pretended to play a trumpet, and I was left thinking one thing in particular; how is it that THIS man was the one who got his title? Unlike the others, Motosuki was so much friendlier and full of personality, where the others had been so deadpan after being outted.

When he realised nobody was laughing, Motosuki stopped with an awkward pause.

“Not the right time to do that, Motosuki,” Kane told him.

“Shut the hell your mouth,” He replied.

“Alright, I’m tired of Waiting!” D-002 made us remember this was a trial. “All of you, vote, right this instant!”

I sighed, looking at my watch. Guess there was no way around it... We’d have to vote for the killer at this point, and it was clear who it was.

With a gentle press...

I hit Kane’s icon.

“Um... D-002?” Osen looked up. “Can I have Yoriko explain the things that happened to me again? I’m still a little confused.”

D-002 roared with a growl. “FINE! Don’t take your time.”

I nodded at her. I know why she did it- she wanted to keep Kane here as long as possible.

So with a deep, shaky breath...

_I got to work._

**...**

‘The victim of this case is Akako Mori. However, if it wasn’t her, we could’ve apparently been trying to solve the murder that she was planning to perform.

Of course, someone spotted her before she performed her little plan- the accomplice to this case, Motosuki Ara. He was the one to meet with Akako in the kitchen.

Little did Akako know, Motosuki had someone waiting in the wings- or rather, under the wings, in the form of the true Blackened.

After meeting with Akako, Motosuki must’ve began setting up his own kill, and the one underneath did the same. I’m unsure what they did together- but at some point, Motosuki fell into the Underpassages after discovering the entrance to them on accident.

And he met with the blackened under the floorboards, who must’ve been getting ready to perform the kill.

For whatever reason, Motosuki relented, letting the kill be performed by the blackened. While the killer went to the Secret Room, Motosuki went the opposite way, heading up and into the Armour Room.

However, he didn’t know where to put the weapon- the Katana, the very weapon that had been taken from the room he was just in. He instead returned it to the Weapons Room, placing it on the counter for all to see.

Had it not been that one minor slip up, added to the fact that Motosuki gave himself too much to remember, the killer very well could’ve gotten away with this.

My name is Yoriko Ito! And today, Kane Sanjuro, you have been beaten by the great minds of this courtroom! It is time for you to write your finale!”

**...**

**TRIAL OVER- PLACE YOUR VOTES.**


	31. CHAPTER 3- WITH EYES OPEN TO DESPAIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POST TRIAL / EXECUTION / EPILOGUE

**POST TRIAL**

The screen showed the votes soon after. Seems like my words had swayed the crowd; all votes were given to Kane, whose sprite did the familiar dance with the GUILTY flashing overhead.

“Yes, sir!” D-002 clapped. “The blackened- the man who killed miss Akako Mori- was none other than Kane Sanjuro! Now, you may spend some with the killer while I set the execution.”

The second D-002 was out of the room, we all looked to Kane who stood there with a strangely content expression.

“So...” Hiso got out of his booth first, almost ready to act as a bodyguard. “Why did you do it?”

Kane swilled his mouth around, almost as if he wasn’t expecting to be asked this question. “Well... Isn’t it obvious? I did it to save the group.”

“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second,” Hiso spoke everyone’s mind. “What’s the real reason?”

Kane took a deep sigh. “To escape.”

“Hiso, this isn’t necessary...” Motosuki put a hand on his chest. “Kane messed up, isn’t that enough?”

Kane stepped forward. “Motosuki, that’s enough. I’m sorry for what I did, but I’m not going to lie and tell you that I didn’t do it with a selfish reason.”

I crossed my arms, watching Kane’s face as he spoke.

“All I wanted was freedom. Away from... all of this.” Kane motioned to the trial room as a whole. “I’m not asking for anything. I’m just asking that... you don’t blame Motosuki for his part in this. He doesn’t deserve it.”

Motosuki turned away, scowling. “No. I don’t want you to just... push what I did aside.”

Kane sighed. “No, Moto--”

“You think I’m going to let you hold this blame yourself, Bro?!” Motosuki yelled, shoving a finger onto Kane’s chest violently. “For God sake, I was going to do the exact same thing! Only difference is our motives!”

Kane rubbed down his face. “Motosuki, stop.”

“No!” He yelled. “How can we not talk about family when family is all we got?! You think I’m happy about this shit, Bro? I’m losing my fucking mind thinking about what the fuck is about to happen to you!”

“What was that about family?” I found myself asking in shock.

“God Damn it...” Kane turned away, pacing slightly. “Motosuki, you need to stop with this. We’ve been separated for eighteen years; why is me being around for two weeks enough for you to want to be my friend?”

“I’m not following,” Masa checked in. “What are you two yelling at each other about...?”

Motosuki put on a serious face. It was the most serious I’d ever seen them.

“... Kane is my brother,” Motosuki told me directly. “My actual, brother. We’re related biologically.”

“We were separated after I was born,” Kane continued. “I got given to a wealthy family with no idea they weren’t my parents...”

“Until he saw me on the big screen for the first time,” Motosuki finished.

“S-So...” Sun-Sing joined in. “You’re... Technically Kane Ara?”

“No, I’m Motosuki Sanjuro,” Motosuki stepped forward and put his hand on his chest. “I made up my fucking last name. Happy?”

“But why?!” Osen trotted over.

“Because I was here,” Kane was now leaning on the podium. “By all accounts, if he had used his real last name, it would’ve just made things worse. We were trying to keep as low profile as possible.”

“But then UMON of all people began running his mouth,” Motosuki huffed, “and I was left turning to him out of... guilt, if anything. I wanted to try and trick D-002 into thinking that the Shadow was all people he wasn’t expecting.”

“That plan backfired,” Hiso tutted.

“That plan was fucking terrible in the first place,” Motosuki corrected. “There was no point to it. All it did was put Kane in more danger.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” Kane said under his breath.

“Am I?!” Motosuki heard him. “Or am I reacting violently to the fact that I was responsible for my brother’s fucking DEATH?!”

Then, eyes fell onto Kenjiro, who had his mask pulled over his mouth again. He hadn’t moved from his booth until that moment, but that’s when he walked over to show he was now involved in the conversation.

It was around that point that I remembered that it had been Motosuki that was so adamant on making us all accept Kenjiro’s attempt to come back to humanity. To learn that Motosuki was the Shadow we were looking for was...

Actually making a lot of sense now.

“I never knew.” Kenjiro finally made his voice known. “All this time... I never even thought that it was you.”

Motosuki smirked. “Guess that makes me a good Shadow, huh? You’re never supposed to show that you’re a Shadow at all. That’s how it works.”

I found myself laughing at that remark. “You hid it better than Ken did...”

Motosuki didn’t join me in my laughter, however. “Well, what are you waiting for, Ken?”

Kenjiro shook his head. “This is...”

“Come on!” Motosuki got in his face. “Yell at me! Get angry! Your girlfriend is dead, and I’m the one who made it happen!”

“Motosuki, stop...” Kane tried to pull him aside, but he just shrugged him off.

“Aren’t you pissed?!” Motosuki shoved Kenjiro. “Aren’t you angry at me?! I’m a horrible piece of shit who can’t even kill people properly! I had to get my own fucking brother to do it for me! Doesn’t that piss you off?!”

Kenjiro just stared at Motosuki. It was clear that, for better or for worse, he didn’t care, or was hiding it far too well for me to be able to detect.

I was a detective... not a therapist.

Hiso, however, seemed to see something that I didn’t. His face tightened into a scowl, holding onto the expression as he gave Kenjiro a worried look.

Because that’s when D-002 returned, and his overly-jovial attitude echoed the room.

“SALUTATIONS, Hapless Students! It’s time for the execution!”

Motosuki turned to Kane. “N-No... No, there’s so much I didn’t get to tell you...”

Kane shook his head. “Motosuki... I understand you’re upset, but don’t try and stop me from going to my death. I did what I did, and I... I accept that.”

“But you did it because of me!” Motosuki stepped at him, holding his arms outwards. “You did it because of me! You did it because I was a piece of shit that couldn’t hurt anyone just to protect my friends!”

Kane suddenly chuckled. It was a deep, guttural one; one of acceptance and receipt. He had no regrets in that laughter.

“To be honest, Yoriko...” He then looked at me with his final words. “In your little breakdown... you got one thing wrong. One thing that I know if I tell you, it will completely change the opinion of the room.”

“LET’S GO!” D-002 jumped in the air happily. “IIIIIIT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

Kane smiled.

“I wasn’t aiming for Akako.”

And then, the chain flew from behind the curtain, snapping around Kane’s torso. He choked as it did, but he didn’t seem to want to resist it. It tugged twice, ready to throw him backwards like Yuno and Hirota before him.

But in that moment... Something happened that I didn’t expect. Something that I hadn’t seen coming at all.

Motosuki charged Kane. “NO!”

And then, he threw his arms around Kane, holding onto him with a death grip.

And then... Kane was thrown backwards behind the curtain.

And Motosuki went with him.

**(Execution music: **<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgHRwL55rdk>)

**(Full credit to Flaynnr for the music!)**

I blinked twice as I turned to the screen. On it, Kane was locked by his ankles to a writer’s desk, forced to stand at it as he looked down at it. He seemed as shocked as I did right now; Motosuki was dangling from the ceiling, now wrapped in chains that he had managed to get himself caught in.

The title card appeared with a calligraphic writing.

**KANE’S EXECUTION- THE TEST OF THE BLIND**

Kane looked down at the paper, his eyes narrowing as he read the paper. It was a simple question- LET MOTOSUKI GO?- with tick boxes for both YES and NO on it. Should’ve been an easy question for him.

At least, that was... if Kane could read.

He was trying, by all accounts. A clock was ticking above his head, showing that he was on a strict time limit.

It struck once, giving Kane a warning that it was there. He only had 30 seconds; he had to make a decision, but he was so lost as to what he was supposed to do because he couldn’t read the question to begin with. And that’s what made it so frustrating, at the end of the day; He could be done with it in ten seconds flat.

It wasn’t until I saw him look around the desk that I then realised what his second problem was- he didn’t have a pen. All that was there was the nib of a quill.

Ten seconds. Kane was running out of time, but he seemed to gather something was up in his mind. With the nib of the quill, he proceeded to slit his own wrist, using his blood to mark the box that said YES.

His hand also hovered over NO for a second before the clock struck again, and Motosuki was raised away on a chain. Kane collapsed at his desk, looking at the paper with a shaky smile...

Before he looked up to see that a massive weight was dropping onto him.

**EXECUTION EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY.**

At the end of the execution, Motosuki stepped out from behind the curtain. He was barely standing, walking forward with a horrible look in his eye.

I rushed forwards, catching him before he could collapse completely. “Motosuki! Hey, stay with us...”

He clawed at my arms, that disturbed look in his eye. “I... I couldn’t... I couldn’t save him, I... I tried, but... I couldn’t... He saw me... Coming.”

Motosuki then just put his full weight into me, hugging me close. He sobbed deeply into my shoulder, and I let him do it, just holding his head into my shoulder.

I looked to Kenjiro, who adjusted his eye patch and walked out of the room. Like the two executions before, the room had moved back into place, letting us all leave.

Osen was the last to head out, coming over with the idea that she could help, but with a single look I shut that idea down. She nodded, seeing that there wasn’t anything she could do and left.

I just held Motosuki in tight, letting him let out the tears he had been waiting to shed. For a Shadow, he was seriously emotional...

... Another seed of doubt echoed in my mind.

**...**

“Interesting... Very, very interesting.”

They sat at the console, looking at the screens in turn. In their minds, they were laughing to themselves- but right now, they were showing nothing.

They got up. They walked over to the entrance to their room, looking out using the camera built into the top. No point in getting caught now- none of the students knew the room was there, so it was fine.

It was wonderful being so hidden. Away from the others... away from the people who were trying to find them.

And luckily for them, Yoriko had made a crucial error. He’d said that the Shadow couldn’t be the mastermind.

If that was true... Then who were they?

They laughed heavily to themselves... and headed out the door.

**CHAPTER 3 END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that... CDE is going on Hiatus.  
I'm going to be honest- these past few parts have been a bit of a slog to finish. That, on top of some personal issues that happen around this time, I'm actually losing the will to finish this novel.
> 
> So I'm going on break. Maybe for two weeks, maybe a month. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure at the moment.
> 
> Hopefully this doesn't kill your want to keep reading, but this is kind of necessary so my writing doesn't descend into 'he walked through. He was sad. He made weird noises' type stuff.
> 
> Hope to see you when I come back!  
\- Joseph


	32. INTERMISSION

"Hello there! How can I--"

The woman stopped when she saw me. Her face fell, with a horrible look of ire on her face. Of course she did. She was probably just as unhappy to see me as I was to be back in the building I was in.

"Oh... It's you." The woman adjusted her reading glasses. "I take it you're not here for the children?"

I gritted my teeth. "I'm here to see--"

"Oh, I know." The woman stood up. "I'll go get them now. Don't bother moving."

The woman walked off, presumably to spit in my coffee. I sighed, looking at the room as a whole- they'd definitely spruce it up from the last time I had come here.

The last time... God, I remember it so vividly. I had been visiting about adoption.

Orphanages never felt so awful to be in. If I had been here two years ago with better intentions, I'd have been more than ready to turn back around and take maternal classes instead.

Because I wasn't here to adopt that first time. I was here to put someone up to adoption. Maybe she would've lived longer had I done it. Maybe she would've found a better family.

Maybe she wouldn't have died that night.

I tried to release those feelings from my head as I looked at the drawings on the walls. They were the common things put on display- little crayon drawings of girls and boys running around in the field with happy expressions, decorating a starry night sky that was painted onto the wall. The Hope's Peak Orphanage was usually full of talented little squirts so it wasn't hard to think that the children had helped paint it too.

"Sun-Sing?!"

I spun around to look and saw that Ini was standing there, wide-eyed and shocked at the sight of me. She was wearing the same clothing that she wore the day we split up as a group, the beanie of her father pulled over her head as a gentle reminder of what she went through.

I didn't have a time to respond as I was tackled into a tight hug. All at once I felt the stress that had built up release into a bubble of pure bliss as I hugged her back with the same power, ignoring the look of disgust that the receptionist gave me from the doorway.

"Sun-Sing! Oh my God I've missed you so much!" She pulled away, looking up at me. "You've grown taller! A-And less round!"

I tried to shrug off her obvious attempt at humour. "Yeah, well, I had the baby in the time I was gone."

"Did you..." Ini poked her fingers together. "You know... put them up, like we discussed?"

Sun-Sing's throat went dry. Ini, out of all of the survivors, had been the most supportive in Sun-Sing's decision; She'd been with her two months after the group had split, helping Sun-Sing make the decision of whether to keep the baby or put them up for adoption. Ini had even asked to be at the christening, but Sun-Sing had turned her down due to feeling bad about making her work so much.

All that Sun-Sing could do was nod and lie.

"O-Oh..." Ini was immediately saddened, but her smile came back. "Well, you did the right thing! You were always talking about how you didn't think you were a good parent, despite how much I tried to tell you you would be..."

I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Did you at least do the B-Section thing?"

I coughed, hearing my despair in that sound. "L-Let's talk about something else, please..."

Ini nodded. "Right. Well, Lookie-Lookie!"

She showed me a badge on her bow- it appeared to be a badge that seemed to show that she had some sort of ranking above everyone else.

"Oh, that's..." I tried to think about it. "Cute?"

"It means I'm a 'well-trusted member' of society!" Ini made a proud pose. "I'm allowed to come into the orphanage whenever I want and teach the children how to play music and stuff! We have lots of little friends running around- there's Ido and Kali and Itoh and Bronson..."

I swallowed.

Looks like I was about to get my ear talked off again...

And I never wanted to hear her voice more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! Have something new.
> 
> I hope you guys are still waiting patiently. I'm getting back into the swing of things now, so the new chapter SHOULD come out either next Monday or the Monday afterwards.
> 
> Hope to see you then!  
\- Joseph


	33. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 13(A)

**DAY 13(A)**

...

It feels like three weeks have passed. Even though it’s only been... what, a day and a half since I said goodbye to Kane?

I’d been laying in bed for a long, long time. I felt ill, even though I had nothing to feel ill over. I just didn’t have the energy to get up and face everyone else.

I couldn’t do it anymore.

Especially now, considering the sound of pure anger was yelling just outside my door.

“Oh, you wanna talk about _morals_?!”

I groaned, putting my pillow over my head. Yoriko had been yelling at Motosuki for about an hour now after what he pulled in the trial yesterday. I’d expected as much- Motosuki had managed to escape to his bedroom after what had happened, but even the sneakiest are bound to get caught.

And Motosuki isn’t sneaky. At all.

After another five minutes of Yoriko basically insulting Motosuki for his actions, I finally stood up and walked over, pushing out into the hallway. Motosuki was a shell- he was looking at the ground guiltily, pulling on his sleeves as Yoriko’s beet-red face screamed at him.

“Yoriko!” I stamped the floor. “That’s ENOUGH!”

Both Yoriko and Motosuki looked at me with the same look of confusion.

“It’s barely morning time! For God sake, leave him alone...” I pushed myself in between the pair, acting as a barrier when I was about a foot under both of them. “I get Motosuki did a bad thing, but he did it for his family!”

Yoriko scowled.

“Yoriko, what if it had been you?!” I tried to reason with the side I know he had. “What if you and one of your family had been in that situation? Wouldn’t you protect them?”

“My family disowned me,” He countered.

“So did Kane,” Motosuki said under his breath. Yoriko heard him, his face softening.

“You can’t yell at Motosuki for this.” My voice followed Yoriko’s face in tone. “He was just doing what he thought was right.”

Yoriko closed his eyes. I could tell, deep down, he still didn’t forgive Motosuki, but he was trying his hardest to hold onto a better side.

“... Okay.” Yoriko took a breath outwards, opening his eyes again. “Okay. I... I don’t forgive you, per say, but... I also don’t blame you. Not anymore.”

Motosuki tried a smile. It didn’t feel real.

“... But you’re also not the final Shadow, are you Motosuki?”

That caused the smile to disappear. My smile also vanished, the words making me feel weird.

“You’ve got too much emotion for that.” I watched as Yoriko shook his head. “You need to stop lying to us. Just come out with it for once, will you?”

Motosuki sighed. “... Right.”

“I’ll give you some time to think over how you’re going to do that.”

Yoriko pushed past him, walking up the hallway. I watched him go, unsure if I should continue speaking, but Motosuki made that decision easy when he walked into his bedroom and slammed the door.

I followed Yoriko down to the canteen. Everyone else except Motosuki, obviously, were in there, waiting patiently for... something. I don’t really know what.

I sat across from Yoriko as usual, not attempting to strike up conversation. Hisonora and Sun-Sing were drinking together, Kenjiro was alone, and Masa was tapping her foot. The only person who hadn’t seemed to change was Cerberus, which was obvious because he didn’t talk anyway.

Was this really all of us? Eight people were all that was left of the group we had started with, and one of them wasn’t even here to see how far we’d fallen...?

“Well... what are we going to do about him?”

I gulped. I knew it was gonna come to this.

“Well, we can’t let him run amok.” Sun-Sing slapped her palm on the counter. “I let another man do whatever he wanted and he tried to kill my best friend, so I say we lock him in his room.”

“We did that with Umon. Do we really need to repeat--”

Sun-Sing’s eyes stared at Masa as she tried to talk, and the pure anger in them was more than enough for her to back down instantly. I tried to speak up too, but my throat felt like sandpaper.

“Let’s... not be so hasty, please.” Of course, Kenjiro came to his defence. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to let it slide. “Motosuki messed up. That’s obvious. But we don’t need to lock him away.”

“This is a single offence,” Yoriko added. “He didn’t try to do this before. It was just because of his family.”

I smiled. Looks like my words were being used for good.

“Look... I’m not going to sit here and pretend I want to be involved in this,” Hiso mentioned, making a defensive motion with his hands, “so I’m staying out of it.”

“You can’t do that,” Sun-Sing barked back at him. “This is serious. You can’t just say ‘no’ and be done with it...”

I looked at the others. Sure enough, Hiso seemed to be the only one not putting up a fight for his opinion, mostly because he didn’t have one. I guess that’s why I liked Hiso- he was very much a neutral party, who’d only step in when he had to.

I felt a chill run down my spine as Sun-Sing stood, however.

“I’m not going to stand here and listen to this!” Sun-Sing paced a little bit. “If Motosuki is going to do it once, then what’re the chances he’ll do it again?!”

“He isn’t going to,” Kenjiro said, standing too. “I’ll make sure.”

I looked at Yoriko nervously, seeing his face was wearing the same emotion.

“L-Look, I’m...” Yoriko cleared her throat. “I’m with Kenjiro here. I don’t think it’s right for us to imprison someone for being a little stupid, right?”

“I’m sorry, a LITTLE?” Sun-Sing yelled at him. “Motosuki was going to kill someone! And he was going to kill Akako, who I should mention was YOUR girlfriend, Ken!”

Kenjiro’s face changed slightly at that.

“Alright then!” Yoriko stood again. “Let’s put it to a vote! Majority wins!”

I put my head in my hands.

“If you think Motosuki doesn’t deserve to be locked away like a caged animal, standing in this corner of the room.” Yoriko was referring to the corner we were sat at.

“And if you think he needs to be put away until we can figure out what to do with him, come over here.” Sun-Sing motioned to her side of the room.

Immediately, Hisonora stood and began walking out. “This is so stupid...”

As he left, slamming the door behind him, I saw motion out of the corner of my eye.

Yoriko and I were joined by, of all people, Cerberus, who sat next to me.

“Cerberus...?”

“I do not believe that one mistake should signify the end of communication with one person,” Cerberus mentioned quietly. “It should be the defining actions that make it true, and Motosuki has shown he is willing to be a good person.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Masa was sitting at Sun-Sing’s table. “S-Sorry, guys... but I don’t know if I can trust him.”

Sun-Sing also sighed, looking at Masa. “I’m... I’m not doing this because I want to. I do think that Motosuki messed up; I don’t want him to mess up again.”

The silence of all of us turning heads to Kenjiro was the breaking point for him. He pulled the mask up over his face, his emotionless eyes staring back at us.

“... No point hiding it now, huh?”

With a small, unbridled step, Kenjiro moved towards Sun-Sing’s table...

When all of a sudden Motosuki burst in. “What the hell is going on?!”

It took me a second to even realise it was him. “M-Motosuki? What are you doing here...?”

Hiso walked in behind him. “It seems unfair to make a vote without the person in the room to see it happen.”

“Hiso’s explained what’s going on.” Motosuki crossed his arms. “First of all- What the fuck, dudes? And second...”

He looked at the floor.

“Look... I’m not going to lie and say that I’m a good person.” He looked back up. “I’ve lied a ton already. I’ve had nightmares about the day it all went wrong. I just want you guys to be honest to your feelings, alright? If you really think you can’t trust me, and need me to stay in my room for a while...”

I watched as Motosuki took a seat at the table near the door. Hiso sat with him, once again abstaining.

“I’ll respect whatever opinion you have,” Motosuki smirked. “As long as I don’t have to get naked.”

When I looked at Sun-Sing then, however, I could see in the tears building in her eyes. I don’t know what it was- maybe it was because Motosuki was in the room, or maybe it was because he had given that speech, but Sun-Sing now seemed completely unable to make a decision.

“I’m sorry.”

That was the only two words I heard erupt from her mouth before she sobbed out the door. I watched her go, a little scared at what had just transpired, before getting up and running after her without realising.

I chased her up the stairs in the grand hallway, right through a hallway that I hadn’t seen was there before catching her as she ran into a door I hadn’t been inside.

“Sun-Sing! Please, I...”

I stopped. Looking around, it appeared to be a really, really beautiful bedroom, the kind you’d see in the extremely fancy hotels. I’d never been in a fancy hotel, but the room was my idea of ‘fancy’ so that’s what I compared it to.

Sun-Sing hide her face in the pillow, muffling her words. _“Go away.”_

“No.” I gave my answer straight. “Sun-Sing, you need to tell me what’s going on. We can’t just keep hiding things from each other.”

_“You don’t understand.” _I could barely make out her voice. _“I feel like such an asshole right now... I was seriously about to lock someone away for a single thing they did.”_

“I don’t get it.” I sat on the bed, turning to face her, attempting to ignore that her rear was shaping the dress she wore. “Why are you hard on everyone? I know you were in a killing game before this, but...”

_“I’m not explaining this-”_ Sun-Sing put her head to the side, taking time to breathe. “-to someone who won’t understand.”

“I’m pretty smart,” I replied. “Try me.”

She paused a second. Her eyes looked back at me, giving me that sort of ‘should I really’ look.

“... Okay.” She sniffled, turning to me and sitting up. “... Back in the other killing game--”

“From the start.” I interrupted her. “What happened, start to finish?”

Sun-Sing gulped. It was clear now I’d tasked her with something she wasn’t going to be able to do without causing her to cry.

“... There were sixteen of us.” Sun-Sing stated the obvious to start. “It was... Me, Kaiyo, Ini, Mutsuko, Taihen... Then Yanayashi, Winnego, Hibachi, Lanzo, Kanji, Yuta, Shui, Ori, Wananta, Tanaki and Akari. A seventeenth student joined us after the first trial called Amun, who we learnt wasn’t even a student- he was a spy for the Future Foundation.”

I nodded, just listening. Sun-Sing continued, explaining everything that happened- Wananta was killed by Ori, Lanzo was killed by Tanaki, Akari killed both Yuta and Shui- though Shui cheated and used a hologram in his place- and then Winnego and Yanayashi both killed Kanji as a couple.

When she got to the fifth murder, Sun-Sing choked up. Hibachi had apparently been a good friend, as had Amun at that point, so to lose them both in a single day was heart-shattering.

“It was actually before the second kill happened that I found out I was pregnant,” Sun-Sing mentioned. “Course that never really applied to anything, luckily.”

... It was around then I got distracted by Sun-Sing’s figure, so I didn’t hear that last part, but she snapped me out of it with a simple click of her fingers.

“S-Sorry!” I blushed intensely. “My lesbianism is going off the charts...”

“Keep your eyes above the neck, darling...” She smiled at me.

“T-Trust me, I’m trying to!” I replied sharply. “I just... beautiful woman, make brain not work well.”

Sun-Sing laughed. At least she found that humorous. “I’m twenty four, Sun-Sing. I’m old enough to be your babysitter.”

“Yeah, my hot babysitter...” I bit my lip, rubbing my cheeks to try and stop myself blushing. “... I’m sorry, I’ve... I’ve ruined the conversation.”

“No, it’s perfectly alright.” Suddenly, Sun-Sing wrapped me into a hug. “I know that we haven’t talked much. I know that I haven’t told you any of this. The fact you were willing to try and listen makes it easier on me.”

I let myself be hugged. I was actually sweating at this point.

_I could feel her chest pushed against me it was so difficult not to panic-_

The hug released, and I had to cough to snap myself out of the haze of pure unbridled lesbian I’d become. “Y-Yeah.”

Unfortunately for me, she immediately noticed that I was blushing like a fire hydrant in the summer and was able to piece it together quickly.

“Do you find me attractive, Osen?”

I couldn’t say anything. I nodded twice slowly, swallowing as Sun-Sing got up from the bed.

“Well, I appreciate the compliment, but...” Sun-Sing shrugged. “I have somebody else in mind I want to go for.”

I knew exactly who, of course. I’d seen the argument between the pair- well, heard, but that’s beside the point- so I knew she wanted Hiso. It didn’t hurt this time. I wasn’t going to cry and wail over it.

You’d be surprised how many times I’ve been rejected.

Sun-Sing and I finally walked out of the room. “A-Anyway...”

“Where are we?” I took her line from her. “This must be the area that just opened, right?”

“Maybe. I was so pre-occupied in my self-loathing that I didn’t look.”

Sun-Sing checked the plate to the door we’d just come from...

And she stopped.

“... My name is on this.”

I looked over, and saw she was correct. On the display plate was the name ‘Sun-Sing’ in big bold letters, clearly showing this bedroom was hers.

But... she already had a bedroom. Why would she need another?

Curious, I walked over to the next door in the hall, seeing what it said, and actually got slightly freaked out when I saw the name ‘Motosuki’ was on it. I went down the line, and then back up it, seeing that all the names of the surviving students were on them in alternating gender order.

Kenjiro, Masa, Hiso, Sun-Sing, Motosuki, Osen, Yoriko, Cho and Cerberus.

Out of the ten names, I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw hers.

“C-Cho... This room belongs to her. Apparently.” I put my hand on it. “Why? Why is this here...?”

Sun-Sing looked up and down the hall again. “... I... I think I know what this is supposed to be.”

“Huh?” I looked to her. “What is it?”

“Have you ever watched a killing game, Osen?” Sun-Sing crossed her arms, leaning on the wall on the opposite side. “Do you have a basic idea of what happens in them?”

I looked to her, feeling like she was insulting me. “O-Of course. Everyone knows what a killing game is.”

“I mean, more what HAPPENS in a killing game.” She began explaining. “It’s always a case of murder-execution, murder-execution. Usually, a 2-2-3-2-2 situation for the games that go that far.”

“But...” I looked to the names again. “But Umon died before the second execution.”

“That’s true,” she agrees. “But... by that regard, would it make sense that his name isn’t here, but Cho’s is? Maybe, with the death of Umon, whoever put this here- D-002, probably- thought that Cho was going to survive yesterday.”

I blinked.

“... That doesn’t make a lick of sense.”

Sun-Sing looked offended. “How come?”

“Because that means that D-002 set up these rooms with the knowledge that Akako and Kane were going to die.” I pointed to Cho’s door again. “But not her. D-002 can see the future, but only the trial part? That makes no sense.”

Sun-Sing thought it over. “... Y-Yeah. I guess that makes sense.”

“I think we should just let Yoriko work it out,” I added. “He’s better at this then us.”

As if to call the devil, Yoriko decided to round the corner just at that moment.

“Ah, Yoriko!” I jumped. “How long have you been--?”

“Long enough to know that you’re creative and you’re figuring things out.” He pointed to Sun-Sing and then to me respectively. “There’s a lot of theory you can apply to this, Osen. It’ll take a lot more evidence to figure that out.”

“Right...” I poked my head into my room as he talked, seeing it just looked the exact same as the other one. “They’re just bedrooms, anyway. It would be a good idea to move from those crummy ones downstairs up here.”

Sun-Sing nodded. “I’ll go get the others...”

With her departure came Yoriko’s arrival of voice as he dragged me shoulder first into the bedroom I’d stood at the entrance of. Inside, he closed and locked the door, taking a deep breath and looking around the room.

“Yoriko?” I asked nervously.

“Osen,” He replied sharply. “I need you to do me a favour.”

I nodded without even hearing what he needed. “What’s up?”

Within a second, a familiar bag was pushed into my hand. It was an AI chip- no, scratch that, _the_ AI chip, the one he’d shown me a long time ago. As I twirled it around in the little plastic bag, I looked to him to see he was giving me a serious vibe.

“You need to keep that on you,” He told me quietly. “D-002 is looking for it.”

“W-Wha?!” I almost dropped it before catching it. “Then why did you give it to me?!”

“Because he KNOWS I have it.” Yoriko adjusted his glove. “If he searches me and finds nothing, he’ll lose suspicion that I took it.”

“... How long do I have to...?”

“As long as it takes.” He gripped my shoulders. “Osen, you don’t understand how crucial this AI chip is to our freedom.”

“A-Again... how do you know?” I asked timidly.

“Because it spoke to me.” The way he worded it at first was way crazier than the actual truth. “The thing on the AI chip, that is. You know how everything in the secret room vanished?”

I gulped, not forgetting that dreadful day.

“It wasn’t D-002 that cleaned it out.” Yoriko smirked. “It was Hiso. He was the first person Cho told, and he completely moved the entire room into his own.”

I felt a wash of relief hit me, followed by more anxiety. “I-Is he in trouble?”

“Not unless the Mastermind knows he has it.” Yoriko tutted, sitting on the bed. “When we all got into the stripped secret room, I tried watching faces to see if anyone was giving a different reaction. The Shadow, of course, didn’t change expression, but Hiso tried hiding his guilt behind shock.”

“... Did you know it was him?” I asked gently.

“No,” He replied. “I didn’t know he moved it all, I just thought he was the Mastermind. It looked like the Mastermind didn’t know why the room was bare, either.”

“Does that mean...” I finally broke, my voice breaking with me. “A-All this time... I’ve been blaming Hiso for nothing?”

Yoriko shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t even know anymore. After learning his talent back in the trial, I’m now not even sure who to trust, or if trust is even viable at this point; after all, he did say he had a mixture of a lot of talents.”

I did the math quickly. “He said a month per talent, right? And he’d been there for fourteen years. Fourteen times twelve is 168. Maybe a few courses he took a few times to make sure he got it, but...”

“If Hiso really has that many talents...” Yoriko had to rack his own mind for a second. “Then he’s certainly got to be the Ultimate Actor, Ultimate Spy... maybe Ultimate Fraud, if that’s a thing.”

I really didn’t like the conversation we were having. Unfortunately, with eight people left in the facility, there wasn’t much we could really talk about anymore- if it came down to it, I highly doubted one man or woman would be able to take down the Mastermind alone, especially if that mastermind was Hiso.

I just couldn’t imagine any of us as an evil person anymore. We were friends, at least from my angle.

“... I can tell you’re having issues with this, Osen.” Yoriko stood up again. “But I promise you, we’re going to get out of this alive.”

I looked up at him...

And my eyes glazed over as I spoke something I didn’t mean to say.

“And what about the rest of them?”

Yoriko... didn’t react. His eyes widened slightly, but that was about it. It was almost like he was expecting me to say that. It was almost like he _knew_ I was going to say that.

In the span of fifteen minutes, another person was hugging me. Yoriko threw his arms around me, pulling me into a strong hug, and I immediately hugged back, pushing my face into his chest.

Now I knew it. I knew it for sure.

Yoriko at least felt the same way- we were friends. And he wanted to help as many people survive as possible, but he had no idea how to do that. My eyes dampened as I sniffled into his jacket, and he let me do whatever I wanted- which, in the next ten seconds, was me crying my eyes out.

I was scared. Terrified. Yoriko was so calm and collected, and I wanted to know how to be like him, but at the same time I knew deep down he was suffering, just like me.

We were together for now. Strengthened by our bond.

Strengthened by the want to prevent the death of our friends.

And yet still weak all the same.

**PART END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then.
> 
> So, is now the best time to admit that the schedule's going to have to be updated again? As much as I hate to do this, I'm actually going to have to extend it outwards a bit.
> 
> So here's how its going to work- in two weeks, on any day of that week, the next chapter will be arriving. Strange idea, I know, but I think the restriction of having to post every monday was getting to me.
> 
> so, I'll hopefully see you in two weeks!  
-Joseph


	34. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 13(b)

**DAY 13(B)**

After the events with Sun-Sing, I decided to try and clear my mind by talking with others instead. Most notably, Motosuki, who had been in the canteen alone.

I spent some time joking around with Motosuki. We grew a little closer that day.

Somewhere amongst the constant spout of memes and stupid jokes, I managed to get a word in. “Motosuki, can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure! Anything you want mate.”

I sighed. “Can I talk to you about your family?”

“Anything except that, mate.”

I pouted. “Come on... you talk so highly of them. I wanna know what they’re like.”

“Well, I’ve already talked about my dad.” Motosuki relented. Clearly, he’d meant his original reply as a joke. “The whole reason behind my talent was because he was willing to buy me the turntables.”

I watched him blatantly skip over Kane. Probably for the best- he was grieving still, and he was using humour to hide that.

“Then there’s my mother...” Almost by instinct, his hand began twirling something in his shirt. “And she was... God, she was just the best person.”

“Was...?” I flinched.

“Yeah...” Motosuki sighed. “She... she died a long time ago. It was a tumour that got her, in the end. She always told me that her body was going to have to shut her down forcefully, and... Well, it did.”

I put my hand over my mouth, trying to hide my shock.

“How long ago was it?” I asked through my fingers. “If you’re comfortable saying...?”

“Oh, about... ten years?” Motosuki counted on his fingers. “I was ten when she passed, so... yeah, about ten.”

“God...” I crossed my arms. “You’ve dealt with a lot more than I could expect.”

“Yeah, well, you hide it behind humour,” Motosuki smiled sadly. “No point in forcing others into your mindset.”

“... Isn’t that exactly what Grief is, though?” I asked him.

Motosuki’s smiled faded. “What do you mean?”

“W-Well... when you grieve, you gotta do it with others, right?” I moved the hair out of my eye. “That’s how you grow as a person... isn’t it?”

Motosuki suddenly ruffled my hair. “Oh, Osen. You’re amazing, you know that?”

I let my hair be ruffled, despite not really wanting to.

“I feel like you’ve been through a lot more hell than you like to take credit for, haven’t you?” Motosuki smiled at me. “Little Miss Honours Student, studying to be successful.”

The way he said it... he wasn’t making fun of me, or was trying to feel sorry for me. He was genuinely telling me his opinion, something I don’t think I’d heard before.

I felt a close bond with Motosuki. We’d been through a lot together; we were ready to fight the world.

“... You’re a good man, Motosuki.”

He smirked, putting a hand on his head. “Really now...? You trying to get my underwear from me or something?”

Before we could continue, however, Yoriko burst in.

“Yoriko?” I watched as he walked past me, moving aside the table and looking under it suddenly. “Hey, Yoriko, what’s going on?”

“Yeah, dude, what the hap is fuckening?” Motosuki asked.

“You’ve already used that one,” Yoriko reminded him.

“FUCK!” Motosuki stomped, actually disappointed. “Thought I had, but... Shit.”

“N-Not the time,” I reminded him. “Yoriko, what’re you searching for?”

“Nothing in particular, but nothing good.” Yoriko scrapes his hand under the table. “I hid something under this table and I think I’m about to need it.”

“Okay, but what is--”

“YORIKO!” Suddenly, D-002 yelled down the hall with a loud, vicious scream I’ve never heard him do. “I’M GONNA GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!”

Motosuki blinked, stepping away from the door as it flew up, revealing the three-foot creature sparking and staring around the room wildly. I couldn’t help myself as my legs locked up and I hit the deck of the canteen, looking up to see D-002 using the table as a springboard as he aimed for Yoriko’s jugular.

When I heard what sounded like a bucket of water hit the floor, I feared the worst, scampering to my feet and running over. “Yoriko!”

Motosuki was already at his side, holding his hands over as much as the three claw marks in his shoulder down to the middle of his chest. “Shit, shit... God, what the hell?!”

“We need to get him to the medical area!” I helped Yoriko up, whose face was a disturbing cross between a smile and a pained grimace. “Come on, help me, Motosuki!”

“I’m trying!” Motosuki held him by the lower half. “I’m trying to stop him bleeding to death!”

Very quickly, we ushered Yoriko into the medical office. Kenjiro was already there, talking with Hisonora, but upon us coming through the door he turned and immediately rushed over to help.

“The hell happened?” He asked, already beginning to bandage him up.

“I don’t know!” Immediately, I began panicking. “I dunno, I dunno what to do...”

“You, don’t do anything.” Hisonora was there for back-up. “Motosuki, what happened?”

“Dude, search me,” he told them. “All I know is that he went searching under a table in the canteen and then D-double-rust-bucket was attacking him.”

“Did he break a rule?” Hisonora asked, but shook his head. “Never mind. Just hold here.”

“This is my job, thank you,” Kenjiro said spitefully. “These claws are like knives- they dug deep, but they’re easy to repair. Leave me for a bit- I’ll fix this, I swear.”

I looked at Yoriko, who had passed out at this point. If D-002 was after him, then Yoriko was in serious danger. D-002 wouldn’t just let him go easy.

But... where was D-002? Why did he let us take him here?

I turned to the door, heading out into the hallway. Looking up and down showed me that there was nobody in the hallway; even walking back the way we’d moved was enough to show that we hadn’t been followed. I pushed back into the canteen, even, to see if I’d missed D-002 on the way out.

“... H-Hey...” Motosuki, who’d been following me, looked around nervously. “Where is he?”

I looked down, seeing the blood trail and shuddered. However, that’s not all I saw- that’s not even the scariest thing I’d seen, either.

“... He’s...” I walked over, rounding the tablet. “He’s here.”

Lying on the floor, crumpled like a steel sheet, was D-002. He was lying there unmoving, completely unresponsive to my poking foot. I then picked him up by the cloak he wore, sitting him down on the table, seeing that his eyes were no longer bright orange- they were black, like he’d been powered down.

It wasn’t hard to see how. In his neck was some sort of baton, dug deep into the shoulder blade of D-002.The black hilt stuck out at a weird angle, shown it had probably bounced off some inner wiring.

“Holy shit...” I heard Motosuki say. “This really him?”

“I mean...” I pulled the head aside slightly, examining the weapon closer. “This is... this is a stun baton. Did Yoriko do this?”

Back when all of us were alive, the weapons room had been cleared out by someone, but D-002 had caught on quick. It wasn’t even a fair moment- he knew exactly what had been taken, and had made us know that.

What was it? 56 handguns, 22 shotguns, 15 assault rifles, 16 bows, 132 arrows, 20,478 bullets, 12 daggers, 6 swords, 4 hammers and a Morningstar...?

Where in that equation did Yoriko get the stun baton?

I drummed my fingers on the shoulder of D-002. This... had turned into a difficult situation. “Well, that puts D-002 out of commission, right?”

“In that case...” Motosuki looked around, a smile appearing on his face. “That means the killing game is over!”

I felt a fresh feeling cross over me. He was right. D-002 wasn’t on duty anymore, so that meant the game was over.

It was just a case of actually getting out of the facility.

Over the course of ten minutes, Motosuki and I gathered everyone into the medical office as well as the corpse of D-002 to show it wasn’t a lie. Yoriko was conscious by that point, covered in bandages over his bare chest, but we were all smiling and laughing at the end of the game.

“I can’t believe it...” Sun-Sing was staring in disbelief. “He’s... He’s actually out.”

“Sooo...” Hisonora looked down at D-002, who’d I’d put on the other medical bed. “What now?”

“Well, now we can look for our escape, right?” Masa guessed correctly. “D-002 is gone. That means we’re not at risk of finding the way out.”

Kenjiro walked over to the body. “How do we know he’s not faking it?”

“Because I’m still alive,” Yoriko reminded him. “If he could come back from this, there is no reason why I should be alive. At all.”

“Still, I think we should take precaution towards what we’re doing...” Kenjiro grabbed D-002’s claw, letting it fall. “Who knows what this psycho had planned. For all we know, there’s no escape from this place.”

“Ah, come on...” Hisonora patted his shoulder. “The fridges restock daily and the medical cabinet gets topped off every night. Where do you think he’s getting the supplies? From the surface! That means there’s a way out.”

“Or he’s got a huge stockpile somewhere,” Kenjiro replied. “I’m just saying, we need to be prepared for anything. Who says that--”

“OH MY GOD, KENJIRO.” Motosuki yelled into the air. “Come on, have _some_ positive vibes about this! Our makeshift warden’s dead and we’re going to get out!”

Kenjiro tutted. “... Hm.”

“Actually, I’d like to make a request.” Yoriko got up carefully, nearly falling if Masa hadn’t caught him. “Can we dismantle him? You know, just to make sure we’re completely in the clear?”

Hisonora rubbed his hands together. “Yep, I can do that. I took a machining course in Hope’s Peak.”

“Course you did,” Sun-Sing said under her breath. “What do you guys think?”

“Wait.”

Cerberus, using that opportunity, stepped forward and looked at the body. We all waited for him to finish before asking him what was wrong.

“I don’t believe it would be a good idea.” Cerberus brought out the journal we’d found in the Secret Room. “Forgive me, Osen, but I did take to reading the journal thoroughly. May I read a passage?”

“O-Of course,” I told him in reply.

He cleared his throat and began reading.

‘I’ve finally done it- created a Monounit that can house the AI I’ve programmed. All my failures have led to this moment. It’s perfect. All I have to do is activate it, and I can begin the plan to bring everyone in to the facility I picked out. All is going well- I just need to hope the body holds up.’

Cerberus then showed us the page in particular, showing that a blueprint had been stapled to it. It appeared to be a blueprint of D-002, of course, showing exactly how his body was made.

Including a remote explosive, planted behind the mask of D-002’s face.

Sun-Sing peered over my shoulder. “...Says here the explosive is supposed to detonate when D-002’s body undergoes considerable stress, such as being dismantled.”

“That...” Motosuki raised a finger. “Sounds way too convenient.”

“Also sounds like whoever made him planned for this,” Yoriko huffed, now using Masa’s shoulder for leverage. “God Damn it... I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologising?” Sun-Sing told him. “You’re the reason we can set our eyes on escape now!”

“I’m aware...” Yoriko leant on the medical bed containing D-002’s body and looked into the dead eyes of him. “Doesn’t mean I’m not aware of what could’ve happened.”

Masa let Yoriko go. “We just need to find a way out, okay?”

“Aight!” Motosuki stood up straighter. “I’m ‘bout to head out.”

I let loose a laugh, watching as he swaggered out in the most over-the-top way he could muster. A few of the others followed, leaving me, Cerberus, Yoriko and Kenjiro behind.

Kenjiro still didn’t seem convinced, however. “There can’t just be one of him...”

“Why is this bothering you so much?” I walked over, standing across from Kenjiro. “Come on, Ken... we’re going to escape. Doesn’t that make you feel good?”

“I-It does, but...” Kenjiro’s knuckles gripped the metal. “Is this... really the end?”

We had made a circle around D-002 now- Yoriko and Kenjiro on one side, me on the other, and Cerberus at the foot of it. We stood in silence, just looking at the puppeteer of the game as he lay there with no sign of coming back to life.

“... Someone should watch over it,” Yoriko mentioned. “The Mastermind is still in play. No doubt he’s angry about this.”

“If we keep it in the medical ward...” Kenjiro began listing options. “Or lock it in one of the spare bedrooms.”

“Medical ward’s better,” Yoriko replied. “Makes it easier to keep watch. There’s always someone here.”

Cerberus tugged my sleeve. I turned to him. “Hm? What is it, Cerberus?”

“We’re still unaware who the Mastermind even is,” He told us. “All we know is that he’s obsessed with this girl named ‘Kaiyo’.”

Kenjiro then asked a question. “So... who is ‘Kaiyo’, exactly?”

“Kaiyo is one of the six survivors from a game from long ago,” I replied without even meaning to. “Sun-Sing was another one of them... But, Kaiyo wanted to try and stop killing games around the world with the help of Shui, one of the members of Future Foundation.”

I saw a small spark of realisation appear on Yoriko’s face.

“At least, I think Shui’s still part of future foundation,” I nattered on. “Or isn’t he a teacher at NEO Hope’s Peak now? I don’t rightly remember the exact--”

“What if...” He cut me off. “What if Kaiyo was supposed to be here?”

“What do you mean?” I asked obliviously.

“Well, what I mean is this- what are the chances that this entire killing game was to try and attract Kaiyo to our position?” Yoriko’s detective side came out. “If she’s trying to find the killing games, then it’s obvious that this killing game would be to try and get her attention, right?”

“I... Never thought of it that way.” I put my hand over my mouth. “Does that mean the mastermind is related to Kaiyo...?”

“... I think it’s fair to say...” Yoriko sucked air through his teeth. “That the mastermind is... one of Kaiyo’s followers. I’m not sure if they’re related, or just someone who thought they were... but this isn’t our fight.”

“It’s hers?” I replied, suddenly getting a little confused. “What, we’re just here as the distraction?”

“We’re here as bait,” Yoriko replied.

“We’re here as BAIT?!” Suddenly, I felt an anger that didn’t need to boil over. “We don’t even need to be here then! Why do WE have to suffer because someone wants to make us look helpless?!”

... Cerberus put his hand on my shoulder, and I calmed down slightly.

“Sun-Sing is the only one Kaiyo knows here...” I crossed my arms, saying my opinion lightly. “We weren’t needed.”

“Don’t go pushing blame, now.” Kenjiro piped up. “Don’t be so silly as to think that one person needs to suffer. We were bait, yes, but I doubt the killing game was supposed to be so feathered.”

“What?” I asked him.

“It means not to think that we were here just for show.” Yoriko came to his aid. “D-002 probably wanted this killing game to happen, all in all. He was just having fun with us; it wasn’t just to attract Kaiyo.”

“I guess I do have a counter point, then...” Kenjiro looked to Yoriko. “Where is Kaiyo? If she was coming to save us, then where is she...?”

“I don’t... rightly know.” Yoriko sighed, going back to the medical bed he was in earlier. “After all, it’s my job to theorise then prove. Can’t prove much when I can barely walk... I’ll look into it more tomorrow, promise.”

“Yeah, that reminds me...” Yoriko said, looking around. “Isn’t it like, close to the night time announcement?”

“The night time announcement that D-002 usually makes?” I reminded him, pointing to the powered down body.

“... Right. Sorry.” Kenjiro scratched his forearm. “When you’re forced into a routine for two weeks, you kind of get used to hearing the voice.”

Cerberus looked between us. The eyes flicked between us, the bright yellow glow bouncing off my own.

“Fucking God...” Yoriko groaned with pain. “Ken, you got any painkillers in there?”

“Fourteen types, yes...”

Kenjiro got to work while I walked over to the exit, heading out and taking a deep breath. There was hope now. I could feel it on the air; everyone was beginning to root themselves firmly back into the mindset that they could finally get free.

“Free...” I looked up. Freedom was close. I wasn’t one to believe in fate, but right now I was beginning to feel like Fate had just turned to our side.

And then, a call down the hall. “FUCK IT UP, HISO!”

I ran down, heading into the grand hallway and looking at what was currently going on. Motosuki was hyping Hiso up to a massive degree and Hiso tore away the rest of the wallpaper between the stairs to the next level and began trying to pull open the wall itself. Sun-Sing just watched with a mixture of fear and determination, silently begging for something I wasn’t seeing.

“What’s going on?!” I asked her.

“We think this might be the way out.” Sun-Sing pointed. “The wall’s lighter there. I think we’re close...”

Masa was also nearby, wearing the same expression. “Please... God, please be the way out...”

“It will be!” Sun-Sing said positively. “We’re going home. I promise.”

I then looked to Hiso, pulling with all his might. Meanwhile, Motosuki was almost acting like a sports coach, patting Hiso’s back and chanting him on.

“Come on, big guy!” Motosuki got on one knee, pointing at his reddening face. “You’ve got this! You’ve got this you big strong fucker!”

Hiso was just groaning in pain. I swear I heard his arms pop slightly as he put his foot on the wall next to the ‘secret passage’ and tried to force it over more.

“You are the video game man!” Motosuki yelled. “You are the one who wins!”

Hiso actually paused at that, his eyes opening wide. “I AM the one who wins.”

Hiso then yanked with all his might... and the wall cracked.

“THATTA BOY!” Motosuki patted down his shoulder and back and Hiso collapsed backwards. “Fuck yeah, dude! Fucking fuck!”

Hiso nodded. “Yeah... Yeah!”

“YOU THE MAN!” Motosuki yelled down at him.

“I’m the man!” Hiso stood up.

“YOU’RE A STRONG BOY!” Motosuki pushed him confidently.

“I am a Strong MAN!” Hiso flexed.

“YEAAAH!”

“YEAAAAH!”

Hiso then punched the wall, and I heard all the bones in his hand crack with agony. Hiso paused before trying to hide the fact that clearly hurt, shaking it off to reveal the crack had widened.

“God, Motosuki...” Masa shook her head, a half-smile appearing on her face. “You have a way with words...”

“Yeah, a way to make us all stupider,” Sun-Sing half-joked.

“Alright, I think we should take a break!” Motosuki clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “I say we sleep for tonight, and then break this shit open like the Ark of the Covenant.”

“Wasn’t that a bad thing to--”

Motosuki grabbed Hiso’s lips. “Shush. I’m going to sleep like a brick, eat like a bear and then fight like a heavyweight champion!”

Once again, the hype of Motosuki was infectious. We all agreed; I headed up to the new bedrooms, finding my room and flopping onto the bed. It was far comfier than the other bedrooms before.

For the first time, sleep came swiftly with a smile on my face.

**DAY END**


	35. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 14(A)

Two weeks.

That’s how long we’d spent in this Godforsaken place. Two weeks of pure agony and torture mixed with the false sense of hope.

But today, that Hope was getting its way. Today, we escaped.

I was up bright and early that day, already walking towards the canteen and entering with flourish. I didn’t expect anyone to be there- granted, I didn’t expect anyone to want to wake up at the same time as me- but entering and seeing Hisonora was a pleasant surprise.

“Oh, hey, Osen.” Hisonora dropped back two pills, clearly comfortable taking them in front of me now. “How are you feeling?”

“What time is it?” I asked, walking over. “I feel refreshed, but like... not hyper. I guess my want to get out is trying to outmatch my exhaustion.”

“I know the feeling,” Hiso replied. It was strange talking to Hiso when his medication had worn off- he spoke softer and with less energy, the hint of sadness in his voice easily hearable. “But we’re getting out today. That’s something to look forward to.”

“Yep.” I smiled as he pushed a thermos towards me, which was still hot from the liquid inside. “I suppose it is.”

Of course... everyone had to be awake first.

...

I spent some time trying to break Hiso’s shell. We grew a little closer that day.

“Say... what will you do when you get out?”

Hisonora blew air through closed lips. “Dunno, never really thought about it. I’m gonna get out, go take a shower and then... I dunno, join the NEO program, I suppose.”

That was right- Hope’s Peak had an extension of their main wing now called the NEO program. It was to help people who were happy with their talents pass that talent’s... talent... down to people who wanted to try and be one.

“You finally decided on what talent you want?” I asked him, taking a sip of my cup I had poured.

“Not really,” He shrugged. “I was actually hoping more to find someone who could help me decide which one I wanted. You know, keep me from just continuing to collect talents like some sort of hoarder.”

“You know, I do think you’d fit in well with the NEO program,” I told him. “You could be a sort of... well, a Jack-Of-All-Trades teacher. Are you any good at that?”

“Teaching?” He hummed. “Well, I took a course I suppose... Guess I’m fit to be one.”

“Well you’re full of mystery and don’t seem to have a life outside of school- you’re making your way down the teacher’s path already.”

Luckily, Hiso saw the joke I was trying to make. “Hah, yeah. I need a pair of reading glasses.”

Of course, then is when his face turned downwards.

“... Glasses like my dad used to wear.”

I paused. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to... bring up bad things...”

“Nah, that was my fault,” He replied modestly. “I guess I never really got over it.”

“Nobody expects you to just get over the death of your family, Hiso...” I lit up like a firecracker. “Hiso, you have to stop doing that.”

“Stop doing what?” He replied.

“Stop acting like your emotions aren’t allowed to be discussed!” I pointed at him. “Hiso, you’re a good person, but you need to realise that you’re allowed to be more open about things that upset you. I’m not going to judge you for them.”

Hisonora blinked. He was in shock- and rightly so, I’m not sure I’ve ever yelled at him like that- but soon after that he laughed deeply.

“Ah, Osen, you...” His smile faded, and for the first time I saw tears building in his eyes. “Y-You’re... you’re so, totally right.”

And like that, Hiso burst into tears. I hugged into him, letting him just cry into my shoulder. I was like a teddy bear at that point- this man who was so much bigger and stronger than me was racking sobs into me, talking about how much he was afraid to tell us anything because he didn’t think anyone would care.

I felt a deep bond with Hiso that day. A strong shackle that would never be unbroken.

... After Hiso cleaned his face up and we were back to talking like normal people, the first few of the group began to come through. Sun-Sing, Yoriko, and then Masa and Cerberus, followed by Motosuki and Kenjiro.

“God...” Masa pinched her nose. “I keep forgetting this is it. This is... this is all of us.”

“Eight people of the original sixteen,” Kenjiro sighed, crossing his arms. “We’ve been cut in half.”

Yoriko took charge then. “No more feeling sorry for ourselves. You can define your survivor’s guilt on the surface. Come on.”

Yoriko walked out, and I followed, hearing everyone else do the same. We walked to where Hisonora had made work on the wall under the overhang. The cracks were still fresh, and the bricks were still loose, showing that neither the Mastermind nor D-002 had tampered with it.

“... Hey Yoriko,” I invited suddenly. “Can I talk with you a second?”

Yoriko dragged me aside, despite me being the one to ask. “Sure. What’s wrong?”

“Do you think there’s a Mastermind still?” I asked him gently. “I mean... if there was, they’d be trying to stop us right now, right?”

Yoriko eyed the others as they began pulling aside the loose bricks.

“... I’ve actually got a theory built in my head,” Yoriko replied. “I think the Mastermind... isn’t doing this of his own will.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“Well, last night... I heard footsteps outside the Medical Ward. I stayed overnight to make sure Kenjiro changed my bandages.” Yoriko rolled his wrist in its socket. “I pretended to sleep as they entered, but they must’ve known I was awake because they left too quickly for me to see who it was.”

“They’re after D-002’s body.” I finished his sentence for him. “They’re trying to rebuild him...”

“Exactly.” Yoriko sighed, clearing his throat. “That, combined with the fact we can’t break D-002 further because of the explosive in his body... We need to keep close eye on whoever tries to examine D-002. Including me, if it makes you feel safer.”

Motosuki suddenly yelled. “Oy, lazybones! Get over here!”

I sighed, smiling. “Sorry, sorry. What are we looking at?”

“Lookie, Lookie,” Masa said, a completely out of character way for her to speak. “The bricks are weak. There’s fresh air coming from behind them. Clearly, this leads somewhere.”

“... Lookie, Lookie?” Sun-Sing seemed to remember something, but kept it to herself. “How long do we think it’ll take for us to move all this?”

Hisonora tutted. “We’re probably talking a half-hour at most. This stuff’s weak.”

I then looked at Cerberus, who also wasn’t doing anything but seemed to be anxiously looking around the area.

“Something wrong, Cerberus?” I asked him.

“The foundations...” he looked at the walls. “I don’t trust this place to hold if we keep moving the bricks.”

“I get your concern, Cerberus, but this is our only way out,” Sun-Sing didn’t even look at him as she moved the bricks. “Besides, this place has held up this long. I doubt a few loose bricks will do anything.”

I looked around the foundations, seeing that Sun-Sing was right. They were firm, not cracked...

I looked to Cerberus. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now?”

“... I don’t trust this.”

“Nonsense!” Hisonora tossed a brick a little violently across the room. “We’re getting out of here! Now you can either help move bricks here or go make us some coffee.

Cerberus sighed, leaving for the kitchen. I looked to the others before following. As soon as we were both in the kitchen, I cleared my throat and let Cerberus take the reins.

“Cerberus... What’s going on?” I asked him.

“I don’t trust this, Osen...” Cerberus rubbed his fingers together, trying to warm them up. “D-002’s out of commission, but... What’s saying that the rest of the facility is, too?”

I blinked, pausing a moment. “What... what do you mean?”

“What I mean is... Does all the technology of D-002 mean anything at all if it only connects to him?”

I looked down, a little amount of doubt echoing through my mind. In my head, I knew what Cerberus was trying to refer to; something that I hadn’t realised before.

How long had it been since I’d used my watch for anything except evidence?

The watch that... D-002 had provided?

I breathed in deeply, tapping the screen to see if it turned on. My heart skipped a beat when it did, showing the front screen of the watch. I immediately looked up at Cerberus, who wasn’t even showing emotion to the fact he was right.

There WAS something else. Something else keeping us locked to the facility.

And it was the very device we had trusted to provide us with the clues to our friends’ deaths.

I immediately rushed out of the kitchen, heading towards the grand hallway. I reached it, just as they had removed the last of the bricks from around the edges, revealing a dark corridor behind it all.

“STOP!” I yelled, just in time to stop Yoriko from stepping in. “DON’T GO!”

Cerberus appeared behind me. Of course, everyone turned and gave us the look of ‘what do you mean’. I knew that I’d probably just wrecked the trust I’d earnt, but I couldn’t let it go without knowing for sure.

“... The watches,” I told them for Cerberus. “Remove the watches.”

Of course, the first one to question me was Yoriko. “What about the watches?”

“The watches, they’re still connected to something!” I pointed, showing the screen. “It’s not D-002! Something else is in charge of the electronics!”

In silence, I could feel everyone’s judgement turn on me. I tried to stand my ground, but it was clear none of them believed me.

“That’s... quite the stretch, Osen...” Hiso told me.

“Hey, we’ve seen stretches work,” Yoriko replied, removing his watch. “Better safe than sorry they say.”

“Wait, don’t the watches have flashlights, though?” Motosuki argued. “We’ll need them to see down this hallway.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

“But...” Motosuki shook his head. “Yoriko, you can’t actually tell me--”

Before the argument broke out, however, Cerberus took action into his own hand, removing his watch and throwing it down the hallway. Instantly, a sinister beeping echoed through the hall, followed by an explosion that lit up the entire hall. It wasn’t a big one- probably around the same size of a roman candle- but it was certainly enough to show us that the hallway wasn’t as long as we thought, probably about a fifty foot walk with a steel ladder at the end.

“... Better safe than sorry.”

Motosuki removed his watch in an instant. The rest of the group began to follow, placing their watches onto the floor smartly. Once everyone was done, we began to make our way into the blackened corridor slowly and carefully.

We made it to the other end where we saw the ladder was. As we went towards it, Motosuki began humming gently to himself, which I recognised the tune of.

“Motosuki.” I sighed, reaching the ladder first. “Stop singing Ocean Man.”

“Sorry! I’m nervous.”

I began climbing up. The world above me was also pitch black- it took until I reached the final rung of the ladder to actually see what was above me. It was like an iron plate, blocking the light that was shining barely through it.

I pushed it away, scorching my eyes with the light before pushing up and into the room. Inside the new room, once I got my eyes adjusted to the sharp change of light. I got to see exactly what our ‘freedom’ looked like.

A security camera, pointing at me from the ceiling.

“No...” I found myself speaking aloud as the others begin to come out, the camera flicking between us. “No, this is... this is wrong. We’re supposed to be out.”

I looked at the walls, covered in security monitors and different painting portraits. Painted onto the portraits were, much like the art room, portraits of the students still alive in the facility, but with the familiar pink X’s over each one. Well, I say that- the comical painted X’s weren’t entirely just the letter. In fact, mine appeared to be an F, clearly playing on the fact I was an honours student.

Yoriko looked at his own portrait, the X over him painted like a targeting reticule. “... This isn’t a way out. This is just another room.”

Hiso ran over, shoulder tackling a big iron door at the far end. “Nonsense! Just gotta get this way open, is all!”

“Damn it, Hiso!” Yoriko suddenly yelled across at him. “Look around you! Take into consideration everything that’s in this place! Are you really going to tell me after everything that’s happened so far, that _this_ is really the end?!”

My eyes kept darting around, eventually settling on something I knew would break me if I looked at it. I ignored my self-preservation, running over and looking at it.

No, not at it. Out of it.

Out of the window that sat in front of me, looking out into the graveyard sitting outside of Hope’s Peak.

Motosuki met me at my side. He looked out too, scanning the glass with wild eyes. “Oh, fuck this... This is olden day glass. It’s as thick as a milkshake- Probably take years to break down.”

Hiso also walked over. Without thinking, I began to pound my hand onto the glass, feeling the metal crossing over it as a pattern. I kept punching, causing my knuckles to bleed, ignoring the several attempts to pull me away from it. I screamed, I shouted, breaking my body against the glass, which I knew wouldn’t do anything.

Yoriko, meanwhile, had kept himself busy, pushing buttons and pulling levers to try and find the right combination. Sun-Sing was the one to find out what they needed, simply plugging the command centre into the wall socket nearby.

All at once, all the screens flicked on, drowning out my sobbing with the humming of the screens. I looked around, each screen showing different things- Camera angles I deemed impossible, hidden away in the ceiling panels of the areas below. This whole time, Yoriko had been wrong- someone HAD been watching us through security cameras.

I was sick to my stomach. I wanted to puke. We were so close to freedom, yet so far away. I dropped to my knees, and then to my hands, not able to look anymore.

“Hello. I am the Mastermind.” And then, a modulated voice echoed the room. “If you are hearing this, you have discovered this room after one of several options.”

Yoriko was at the command centre, looking up at what appeared to be an audio line. He was staring at it boredly, almost like he was expecting more.

“Now, using the keypad below, choose the option that applies to you.” The modulated voice began listing options. “One- You are the mastermind, and have ended the game early. Two- you are the mastermind, and have won the game...”

The list continued on. Half the options were about the mastermind, either them living or dying, and the other half was dedicated to the survivors. It wasn’t until option 9- the option that simply read ‘This room was discovered after D-002 was destroyed’- that Yoriko continued the branching narrative.

“You have chosen 9. In this case, D-002 was destroyed or temporarily knocked out of commission, and you took it upon yourself to try and find an escape route on your own command.” The voice droned on, the speaker blasting the creepy-yet-cruel words at us. “After discovering this room, you attempted escape, only to find the door wielded shut and the windows unbreakable.”

“... What the hell?” Motosuki walked to Yoriko’s side. “Does Microsoft Sam see us or something?”

“In this circumstance, you have fallen into Despair.” The voice continued on. “It is at this moment that I will reveal what I have been attempting this entire time.”

Yoriko raised an eyebrow.

“It was all for Kaiyo.” The voice finally dropped the bomb. “I only wanted to bring her to my presence to cure her of her despair.”

Kaiyo. That name kept coming up everywhere in the facility, and now finally it was being used by the apparent mastermind of the killing game.

Suddenly, all the monitors in the room, apart from the one the voice was coming from, turned to a timer. It read 00:00:07:54.

As in... Seven Minutes and Fifty Four seconds.

“The long and short of it is this- I’m not evil. Nor am I a remnant; in fact, I am quite the opposite. All I wanted was Kaiyo.”

“Guys...?” Masa pointed out the obvious. “T-There’s a timer...”

“What’s going to happen?!” Sun-Sing rushed over, trying to open the hatch which had locked during our conversation. “We’re locked in!”

“Is he going to kill us?!” Motosuki yelled. “Hey, what the hell are you doing?!”

“I have my reasons why- you see, cameras picked up that dearest Kaiyo was constantly battling with herself.” The Mastermind was talking relentlessly, ignoring the fact we were now on a time limit. “Her mind is corrupt thanks to that rotten killing game. The worst parts are amplified, and the best parts are being downtrodden.”

Yoriko stayed completely silent while we continued our panic.

“Being the wonderful man I am, I wanted to bring Kaiyo here to cure her of her sadness and anger and refresh her back to the woman I fell in love with. Of course, this needed to be broadcast, but everyone called me insane. Called me crazy. Called me... sick.”

“You ARE sick...” Kenjiro muttered under his breath.

“Kaiyo was the only one who tried to be nice to me- the only one who ever helped me when others laughed and spat in my face. You’ve probably figured it out by now, but I gathered the hopes of everyone here and shattered them for that very reason- revenge against those who couldn’t find in their heart to be like her, even at their peak.”

A short pause echoed when I looked to Yoriko and realised he was beginning to monitor the situation more closely.

“Sure... maybe you guys don’t deserve it. Maybe when I joined the academy, I found new friends, and they tried to help me. But the darkness in my mind will help me at my brightest when I make things right between us.” Despite the modulated voice... it actually sounded quite sad. “The only thing I regret is having to bring you into this, making you see your end too early to make heads or tails of, but I’m doing it for Kaiyo. Not even my own life deserves the sweet release of freedom. After all, why let myself go if Kaiyo never appears?”

“So, as explained, I put myself on a timer to make absolutely sure I succeeded. It only feels right, after all- I cannot accept the failure of losing her to Despair.”

Yoriko groaned. Motosuki scratched his arm, trying really hard not to freak out more than he was already.

“I’m sure you’ve seen it, Yoriko.”

Yoriko perked up. “... Hm?”

“He knows you?” Hiso asked suspiciously.

“34-23-8-37-18-30-26-13-19-9-14-6-12-22. Make it Right. Don’t Believe my Lies.”

And with that, the final screen turned off. Yoriko blinked, writing in his little pad the code that was provided, while also simultaneously grimacing.

The timer hit five minutes. It was crunch time.

“We’re going to die...” Sun-Sing said dejectedly. “This is it. This is how we die.”

“Shut up!” Motosuki yelled. “We’ll make it through this! I mean... Yoriko, you’ve got an idea of what’s going on, right?”

Yoriko stayed completely silent.

“... Fuck.” Motosuki rubbed the back of his head. “I mean, come on! It’s not like this timer MEANS bad things, right?!”

“It’s a countdown brought about by the Mastermind of the game,” Hiso replied. “I don’t think that’s entirely an option. This is either death or pure lockdown.”

“... Or it’s a code.”

Yoriko suddenly ripped the paper out, putting it against the small monitor on the device. He looked at it through the paper, his eyes darting swiftly.

“There’s a transcript of everything he’s been saying on this monitor.” Yoriko began scribbling. “If my hunch is correct... then this... is a code.”

Motosuki huffed. “No shit, Sherlock. What does it mean?”

“I’m getting to that... it’s a code of the words he’s been saying.” Yoriko continued, a beat of sweat dripping down his brow. “A sort of... placeholder. A kind of separate sentence, hidden right before eyes and ears.”

I wandered over. “Does that mean you know what’s happening?”

“I will in a minute. How much time do I have?”

Sun-Sing looked at the timers. “Um... three minutes.”

“Plenty of time.” Motosuki grinned. “At least, in terms of a song.”

Yoriko grinned suddenly. “Fuck you, I’ve got it.”

“Fuck me...?” Motosuki asked.

“No, not you. I’m talking to the Mastermind.” Yoriko adjusted the paper. “If my hunch is correct- which, I found, it is- then the code given... it was spaces. Spaces between the words and the sentences.”

I blinked, confused.

“The amount of words between the words... starting from word one...” Yoriko tapped the screen. “It’s exactly as I thought.”

“One minute!” Masa exclaimed.

“And if... this truly is what he wants... then I’ll be happy to carry it out for him.”

Yoriko adjusted the microphone on the device in front of him. He actually even prepared his throat by clearing it.

“What are you doing?” Kenjiro asked.

“Getting ready.” Yoriko looked to the timer. “After all... we’ll be put in contact soon.”

“Contact with who?!” Hiso asked.

“Thirty seconds!” Masa worried.

“The code was showing us which words to take out.” Yoriko pointed at the transcript. “And with it, I found the answer he was giving us.”

“What is it, then?” I asked carefully.

Yoriko pushed the paper down, letting me read what he’d crafted.

“The Cameras Are Being Broadcast To Hopes Peak Academy At The End Of The Timer.”

I huffed. “How did... How did figure it out?”

Masa yelled a little too loud. “Ten seconds!”

“I’ll tell you later.” Yoriko’s final sentence took up the last of timer. “I’ve got a voice call to do with a very special woman.”

The timer hit zero. All the cameras came back on.

And the crackle of radio static echoed the room.

“... This is Future Foundation Branch, 22-B. Kaiyo Sycamore speaking.”

“Hello Sycamore.” He said into the microphone, smiling widely. “We’re the killing game you’re after.”

**PART END**


	36. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 14(b)

**DAY 14(B)**

I don’t know how long we spent talking with Kaiyo. Tears were shared, reunions had. Kaiyo and Sun-Sing were familiar with each other since their killing game back in the day, so they were the ones that who ended up sharing as brunt of the emotions.

It was a lot more than that, however. We had far more to talk about.

“Kaiyo.” Hisonora had to speak up to remind her that there were others in the room. “We’re stuck here. I think this is the chapel in the graveyard outside of Hope’s Peak...”

Kaiyo’s voice was quiet for a moment.

“... Chapel...?”

“You heard me,” Hisonora replied. “Is there any way you can contact Hope’s Peak and tell them that we’re here?”

I had returned to looking out of the window again. There were people out on the streets, walking and talking with their friends or attempting to ignore the others with their head down, perhaps a quarter-mile from the chapel. My fists were bloody and raw from beating on the glass, but even so I don’t think it would’ve mattered.

As Hiso had stated... the glass was soundproof. There was no way for them to be alerted to our presence.

He continued. “Kaiyo. Kaiyo, you still there?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m still here...” Kaiyo replied coldly. “I... I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What do you mean?!” Sun-Sing suddenly pushed Hisonora aside. “Kaiyo, we used to go into the graveyard to honour the fallen! The Chapel was always there...”

The group could hear Kaiyo’s distain in her voice.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Sun-Sing.” Kaiyo sniffled. “We’ve never had a Chapel in Hope’s Peak.”

Motosuki tutted. “Alright, look... I’m all for memory manipulation, but I highly doubt that a Chapel would just go missing from the graveyard it’s in. I mean, I remember it being there! Do you guys...?”

Cerberus nodded, as Motosuki’s head had looked at him first. “I was rather fond of sitting in the Chapel during my séances.”

“Okay, yep, that’s terrifying,” Motosuki told him, “but yes, you see? Mount Everest was discovered in 1856, but I’m pretty sure the fucking mountain was still there before then!”

Kenjiro thought for a moment. “That’s... unless it’s Kaiyo who has forgotten...”

Sun-Sing shook her head. “She’s forgotten, but that doesn’t mean others would have, right?!”

“Look, Kaiyo, just send a group to come find us and--”

“Y-Yes, I...” Suddenly Kaiyo began talking to someone off screen. “I’m talking with them now.”

“Kaiyo?” Sun-Sing surged forwards, gripping the machine. “Who are you talking to?”

Kaiyo didn’t respond to her. “T-They’re in a Chapel. Do you remember...? You don’t. I didn’t think so, but...”

“KAIYO!”

Suddenly, she snapped back to the microphone. “Sorry, just... talking to the walls. What’s up?”

Motosuki slammed his face into his hands. “Oh, this girl’s DERAAAANGED.”

She didn’t seem to notice that as Sun-Sing continued. “Kaiyo. Get. Help.”

Kaiyo sighed. “Sun-Sing, I don’t know where you’re talking about...”

“The Chapel outside of Hope’s Peak!” Sun-Sing repeated. “Come on, Kaiyo! I know you’ve had some memory issues since leaving our old killing game but I need you to listen to me! Contact Hope’s Peak Academy and--”

A small beeping of a pager caught everyone off guard. Kaiyo shuffled from the other side of microphone, grabbing something and talking into it.

“Shui?”

“Shui?!” Sun-Sing yelled into the mic. “Kaiyo! Kaiyo, put Shui on!”

... No response. Almost like Kaiyo had completely forgotten about the task at hand, the sound of a scraping chair signified that she was leaving.

“Did...” Kenjiro gulped. “Did she just... Leave?!”

“She’s taking a phone call,” Motosuki spat sourly. “Apparently the eight people who’re literally trapped in a killing game aren’t as important.”

I whimpered. “S-She’ll be back... right?”

The entire time we’d been talking, Yoriko had been a little ways away, writing down in his little notebook. I’d noticed that he was about halfway through it; God knows what he’d use if he got all the way through it.

I’d thought we wouldn’t need to find out... but now I wasn’t so sure.

“S-So what now?” I asked. “Do we just wait for her to come back?”

“What else do you suggest?” Masa replied me. “Our freedom relies on her.”

“Yeah, but apparently she doesn’t even know where we are!” Kenjiro replied, almost with vile reattribute. “If push comes to shove, we have to be ready to do what we must!”

“... Do...” Masa repeated his statement. “What we must?”

“Not like that,” Kenjiro replied, getting in her face. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Guys!” Motosuki rushed through, pushing them apart. “Come on! Jesus... you guys can’t be at each other’s throats like this!”

I looked to Yoriko, who wasn’t even looking up from his notebook. Then, I looked at Cerberus, standing as far away from the argument as possible, and then to Hisonora who drummed his fingers on the machine next to Sun-Sing.

We couldn’t give in. Kenjiro was right- if Kaiyo wasn’t coming for us, as hard as that was to think about, then what could we even do but try and fight our way out?

The Killing Game didn’t always have to end in bloodshed. After all, even the very first one had survivors.

Of course, we all had to be on the same page first. Without D-002 in the mix, we could do whatever we needed to-

“SALUTATIONS, HAPPLESS STUDENTS!”

... My heart went cold.

Suddenly, the trapdoor flew open, and out of the hole flew an unfortunately familiar robot in the form of D-002 as he landed on his feet.

“Well, well, well!” The audience applause played like he was a returning character to a movie. “What an outstanding reaction! Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind!”

“W-What the...” Kenjiro immediately got in the way of Yoriko, defending him. “What are you doing back here?! You’re supposed to be dead!”

“His death was greatly over-exaggerated, it seems.” Motosuki huffed. “Which means you were either faking your death or someone repaired you.”

“But everyone is here,” Kenjiro quipped. “There’s no way he could’ve--”

“If you’d all shut up, I’ll happily tell you!” D-002 scraped his claws against each other, his eyes locked on Yoriko. “You see, when I was destroyed, it triggered a secondary alarm that was built into the Mastermind’s Chambers!”

Yoriko kept a sturdy face.

“Which is why you were locked behind the church door!” D-002 snickered, as well as the audience. “If you had JUST played the game correctly, then you’d be walking out here without a care in the world...”

“What do you mean, Alarm?” Yoriko asked coldly.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” D-002 paused for dramatic effect; or maybe he wanted us to actually answer that. “The Alarm was in place to completely seal us inside if I was broken in a way that made me unable to continue!”

For the second time that day, my heart dropped.

“All of this over a silly little AI chip!” D-002 laughed with the audience again. “However I’m willing to put it behind us. How about it, fella?”

D-002 stuck his claw out, along with the audience cheering, but the audience gasped and hissed when Yoriko slapped it away.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve.” Yoriko pushed Kenjiro aside. “What are you gaining from coming up here and pushing us further under?”

“Well, that’s the thing!” D-002 adjusted his cloak. “I’m not here for YOUR benefit! I’m never here for your benefit. I’m here because you annoyed me, and thought you could get away with murder!”

I gulped. “D-002, please--”

“Uh, uh!” D-002 stopped me with a single finger. “I gave you one too many chances, so now you’re gonna suffer because of it. Simple, right?”

Hisonora crossed his arms. “Like hell. What can you do that’ll do that?”

“A motive, of course!”

As the audience cheered, I was reminded of the things we’d gone through. The things that we had fought so hard to try and get away from. All of it... gone. In one singular moment, we were thrust back into the killing game without a shield to defend us.

D-002 was really back in commission, which meant someone had repaired him.

Or he’d just repaired himself...

“So, here’s the motive this time!” D-002 laughed again. “Since you guys have found this top area already, I’ll just use the last one as this motive...”

He hopped up onto the machine, stamping hard on it to destroy the panel for good. Sun-Sing fell backwards, an absolute look of terror on her face.

“You remaining survivors get one good kick up the backside! The first person to commit murder gets to go scot-free with the other survivor!”

We all paused. I think it was Motosuki’s failed resistance to laugh that ended up hitting home the motive’s message.

“Other... Survivor?” I asked him. “... Single?”

“Well, the way this would’ve worked was that there would only be 3 survivors after everything I was planning.” D-002 checked his nails. “So, you kill one, and then that one would be the final kill of the entire thing. Of course, now there are eight of you, so...”

“We kill one person, the rest go free?” Yoriko asked.

“Incorrect- you kill one person, and then choose one person to escape with,” D-002 corrected. “Everyone else dies.”

“T-Then there’s no point in doing this!” I yelled. “We told ourselves we’d all escape together! Why would we ever kill each other if it meant we were betraying each other’s trust?”

“I’d take a look around, sweetheart...” D-002 clicked, pointing at my friends. “I think everyone else is already thinking about it.”

I looked to them all. Sure enough... he was right. Sun-Sing had this glazed look in her eyes as she curled up into a ball on the floor. Yoriko had a putrid expression, trying to hide his face from the others, while Motosuki and Kenjiro shared a look of anguish. Masa kept her eyes to the ground. Cerberus even had a different look about him- the air seemed darker, holding onto a grudge he would’ve once let go.

It was only me and Hisonora who seemed completely unaffected, and even then, Hisonora was barely holding onto that.

“Hey.” Hisonora panned his gaze around. “Hey. Stop it.”

“Stop... what?” Masa answered back quietly. “What else are we supposed to do...?”

“We survive!” He pointed at the ground, walking forwards. “Don’t tell me that you’re losing it? You’ve already made it this far!”

“But now there’s no way out...” Kenjiro replied for her. “You see the door. It’s wielded shut. The windows are unbreakable, if not because Destruction of Property is against the rules.”

“I-I hate this...” Sun-Sing cradled her head, shivering. “I hate this... I hate this... I hate this...”

“S-Sun-Sing...” Yoriko bit his lip.

“There’s really no way out?” Motosuki grimaced. “Dude, this is so not epic...”

“ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, my voice boomed over everyone’s despair. I wasn’t sure how I was able to do it, with the constant depression that radiated the room; I was less yelling to stop it and more yelling to stop myself going under it.

“Just stop it,” I continued. “Please. We’ve done this before, so many times. We’ve fought through the pain. We can’t fall into it now.”

“Well said!” Hiso patted my back, having appeared nearby. “We’re used to feeling this way! We know that we can pull through it!”

“You’re speaking for yourself,” Masa barked. “I’m not used to this. I will NEVER be used to this. How dare you try to--?”

“No, he’s got a point.” Yoriko downed his despair and recoiled. “We’ve been through this one too many times. Even D-002 knows now that we can fight against him.”

“Yeah!” Motosuki points at D-002. “This oversized bionicle hasn’t got a chance against us if we stick together!”

“Stick together...” Suddenly, Kenjiro laughed coldly to himself. “So you can stab us in the back? Take someone with you?”

“... Bro?” Motosuki gave him a questioning look.

“This situation is hopeless...” Sun-Sing sat up, looking exhausted. “W-We can’t keep... doing this... over and over...”

Masa walked over, kneeling by her to comfort her. “We can’t live to die, day to day anymore... We’ve lost so much...”

Cerberus sat on the outskirts of the room, just watching us all. I looked at him, expecting him to side, but the battle behind his eyes was enough to shut that idea down.

Cerberus didn’t know who to side with. Kenjiro, Masa and Sun-Sing; they’d given up at this point, wanting to just sit and let the tide wash over them. Hiso, Yoriko, Motosuki and I were trying to keep going, but it was going to get harder and harder to do that...

Eventually, Cerberus sighed, walking over to the two groups forming. We all looked at him expectedly.

“Cerberus...” Yoriko went to ask.

“I do not think we should be picking sides here,” Cerberus admitted. “If we do, we might find ourselves split, right down the middle...”

D-002’s eyes shone for a second. “Split? Did you say SPLIT?!”

“Don’t get excited,” Motosuki reminded him. “We’re not breaking over this. Right guys?”

... Silence from the other group. Cerberus joined the small group of people still fighting for hope, looking at Kenjiro and Masa and, most importantly, Sun-Sing. I couldn’t just tell them to get over it- that would be insensitive. We’d all been through hell, especially Sun-Sing who’d been through two killing games and had watched a double-digit number of people die in front of her now.

I had broken at the first death. The death of Chuu. I had no room to tell her what she had to do anymore- she was strong enough to make it to this point, just no further.

And to be honest? I think I understood now.

The killing game really wouldn’t end, would it? We’d go on and on until we were all beyond our capabilities. We’d watch people die until there was no one left. I was surprised I’d made it this far as is.

Soon, I’d be with Chuu, whichever direction he went.

... But not today.

“Guys, please...” I kept talking. “We have to fight.”

“We have fought,” Sun-Sing replied, a hint of pure anguish in her beautiful voice. “Osen, please. We’ve fought too much at this point.”

“Then why does the fight stop here?!”

I wasn’t the best at talking. I realise that, everyday. I just wanted everyone to see what I saw- human beings, being forced to do exactly what they didn’t want to.

“I know...” I sniffled. “I know that you guys are... are suffering, but... we can’t give up. Please. Not like this.”

Again, silence. I looked around, and saw that D-002 had vanished. It was just us eight now.

And then... Masa sighed.

“Let’s go.”

And with that, everyone began to leave. I looked at them with a teary eye, full of sorrow. Had I really not even influenced them at all?

One by one, they headed down. The ones on my side gave me some comfort in the form of a shoulder rub or a back pat, but eventually I was standing alone in the chapel room.

Alone... apart from one person.

“... You remind me of her, you know?”

Sun-Sing hadn’t budged. In my sadness, I hadn’t seen she’d stayed behind. “W-Who?”

“You.” Sun-Sing walked forward. “You remind me of Kaiyo. She was always trying to keep us going, even when we were at our worst.”

She blushed, holding onto her arm.

“I... I kind of wish I’d listened to her more.” Sun-Sing smiled wider. “She was always so nice. So Kind, so... reassuring. So... beautiful.”

I blinked. “... You love her, don’t you?”

Sun-Sing nodded slowly. I sighed loudly.

“I thought you were after H--”

She immediately clasped a soft hand over my mouth, despite being alone. “I am. I love him too. But Kaiyo... I love her more. She taught me more in a day than Hiso could ever teach me in a month. More about myself, more about who I was.”

I pulled her hand away. “Okay, I understand. You... you really care about her, huh?”

“It’s why it hurts to see her... hear her... like that.” Sun-Sing scowled. “She’s been dealing with some sort of Split Personality ever since we came out of the game. She thinks that her other eye is talking to her.”

I looked at the floor.

“... But I still see a lot of her in you.” Sun-Sing grabbed my shoulders, making me look up in a desperate gaze. “Personality wise, you’re a spitting image. You’re exactly what this group needs.”

“Y-You t-t-think so?” I could barely speak. Amazing how quickly I could fall to the grip of a powerful woman.

“I know so.” She hugged me close. I think she knew what she was doing, because my face slammed right into her chest, causing me to erupt into blush like a skittish volcano. “Now come on... Let’s go back down, okay?”

“O-Okay...”

With that, we headed back down into the main facility. I don’t remember what I did, exactly- I just remember, that night, getting into bed with tears in my eye.

**DAY END**


	37. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 15

**DAY 15**

I didn’t really feel like waking up that morning. I stayed in bed for a long time, just staring at the ceiling with an upset expression.

Every time I tried to get up, I’d think about the fact we had no way out of the building we were stuck in and I’d fall back again. My bed was the only place I wanted to be. I know that there was a term for that- Clinomania, if I remember correctly- but where Clinomania was usually brought about through a desire to sleep I just had a desire to lay there and let life take its course.

I felt like a bystander. A bystander in the worst situation I’d ever found myself in.

A small knock on the door made me clear my throat. “C-Come in.”

In entered Yoriko, who closed the door behind him. “Hey.”

“... Hey.”

“Not going to get out of bed?” He asked me. “It’s approaching lunch time. We were going to have a meeting to see--”

“Does it matter, Yoriko?”

I didn’t want to say it, but... I’d been thinking long and hard about the way I felt about the killing game. Sun-Sing’s speech to me had influenced the decision slightly, but at the end of it I finally realised that... I didn’t believe her.

I wasn’t like Kaiyo. Kaiyo fought to keep everything in line, and I was trapped behind my own despair that I masked as hope for the future. When I woke up the first day in the facility, I was already accepting that I had been in prison.

Yoriko sighed. “Osen... Come on.” He walked over, extending a hand that I took to pull myself up with but not out of bed.

I looked him in the eye. “... I had an arrhythmia attack last night.”

“I’m... sorry to hear that.” Yoriko sat on the bed. “You should’ve come told me. I didn’t sleep last night.”

“It doesn’t work like that...”

“I know.” Yoriko tutted. “Like... after it happened, I suppose.”

I looked at him, confused. “... Are you okay?”

Yoriko didn’t respond. He looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath.

“I don’t know what to do, Osen.”

Those words out of his lips caught me severely off guard. A detective saying those words was not something you wanted to ever hear.

“W-What?” I sat up more than I was already. “Y-Yoriko, you can’t say that... we need you to know what’s going on!”

“I know that!” He told me sternly. “I’m just... lost. I’m fully aware that we’re all trapped here now, and I’m trying my hardest to figure out how to get through this but... b-but I don’t... know how!”

I sucked air through my teeth. “Yoriko--”

“I... I can’t...” He put his hand on his forehead, stress obvious on his face. “I can’t find another escape route. All the doors to the hidden rooms have been locked, and the others aren’t helping at all.”

I blinked. Seeing Yoriko like this... it was exactly the opposite of the way I’d known him. This firm-mannered, honest man was now no more than a quaking mess of words and unknowns.

That’s why Sun-Sing’s words rung in my head like a bell once more.

‘You’re exactly what this group needs.’

“... Yoriko, stop.” I reach over, putting my hands on his shoulders. “It’s alright. Please, calm down. Take deep breaths.”

He took a shuddering one, his bronchitis echoing the room as it rattled.

“You’ve got this far.” I had to freestyle some motivation. “You’ve helped us so much, and I understand that. I know you’ve fought to help us escape. You’re a good man, even if you don’t feel that way.”

I drew him in closer, giving him a hug.

“You’re gonna do this. I know you can.”

... Yoriko hugged back, sighing into my ear. “God, you big softie.”

I smiled back. Again, this would feel like sexual tension if we weren’t both gay.

The hug subsided, and he leant back. “Alright, come on. Let’s go get something to eat, okay?”

I nodded, letting myself be pulled to my feet. We walked out and down to the canteen together, the hanging darkness of the air being so deviously painful that I was taking psychic damage just being in it. When we made it to the room, the only person who actually seemed to be doing anything was Hisonora, who was serving food for everyone.

“There we are...” He put a plate down in front of Masa, who honestly looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. “Oh, hey Osen! Decided to join us, have we?”

I nodded, looking at the faces of the damned around me. Only one of them honestly seemed to be up to look my direction in the form of Cerberus.

After a quick meal, I escaped that place before I could be dragged down with the others, and Cerberus followed me.

**...**

I spent some time in the dark with Cerberus. We grew a little closer that day.

“So Cerberus...” I wasn’t the religious sort, but I needed some sort of conversation to keep myself going. “What exactly does your God look like?”

“Well, it depends on who you ask,” Cerberus told me. “However, Danafulu has always been described as a Serpentine creature, his tail long enough to wrap around the Earth twice over.”

“O-Oh... W-Wonderful.” I know he heard my distain. “W-What colour?”

“Any colour he wants,” Cerberus quipped. “Red, yellow, black or green- sometimes a mixture of the four. His fangs are as large as a continent, and his jaw can unhinge to swallow the planet whole.”

I gulped. So Cerberus worshipped a planet destroyer. That didn’t bode well.

“W-Would Danafulu eat us?” I’m not sure where that question came from.

Cerberus shook his head. “Danafulu would only eat the bad people of this world. Those who have only done wrong for the planet- Ecoterrorists and serial killers as an example.”

“D-Does he know the difference?”

Cerberus sighed. Clearly, he saw that I was beginning to doubt that his religion was real- which I did, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I was just a little unnerved that he was so accepting of a giant world eating snake as a God.

After a little bit more conversation, I left for the kitchen. I don’t know exactly why- it was out of boredom more than any reason. Days were going slower now I knew there was no way out, but it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to try ticking that clock along faster.

Inside the kitchen, however, I came across a conversation that immediately duck behind a counter and begin listening.

“I-I don’t... know about this, Hiso.” Motosuki rubbed the back of his head. “This is a damn risky move you want me to pull off.”

“Look, for all intents and purposes, she trusts you.” Hiso’s voice sounded a little worse for wear than usual. “I need you to keep her occupied. I’ve seen that look in her eye- it’s the same look I give myself in the mirror.”

“Really wish you wouldn’t talk about how much you want to off yourself so casually...”

Hiso chuckled. “Yes, well, humour helps me cope.”

“I’m also not fond of... tricking Masa.” Motosuki moved around the counter, so I repositioned myself somewhere they couldn’t see me. “I mean... she’s a cool girl, you know? The girl’s a bit lost, but she’s got heart!”

“And I know that,” Hisonora reminded him. “I just can’t afford her doing something she’s going to regret, you know? With this motive in play, she could be looking to snag someone and take the freedom she wants.”

“Yes, well,” I heard Motosuki scratch his head, “we all want freedom. That was the point of us working together.”

“Motosuki...” The sound of hands slapping onto shoulders sounded out in the room. “You need to promise me that you’ll protect her, okay? I can see it in her eyes that she trusts you more than you will ever know.”

The silence made me peep over the counter, seeing that Hiso was holding Motosuki by his shoulders.

“... Hiso, man...” Motosuki pushed his hands off. “It’s alright, dude. Kenjiro’s got a plan to get us out of here.”

“But until then?” Hisonora asked him.

“... But until then, I’ll do as you asked.” Motosuki flashed a peace sign. “No cap.”

Hisonora nodded, clearly not knowing what that meant. “Alright, get out of here. I’ll bring you guys some hot chocolate.”

Motosuki rubbed his hands together. “Ah, perfect... you know how to spoil us, Mr. Yanjuu. Do you think you could put like, little marshmallows in it?”

“If I find them,” He replied, giving Motosuki a big beaming smile.

Of course, then Motosuki left, and Hisonora’s smile fell like an anvil.

“... You can come out now, Osen.”

I flinched, immediately getting to my feet and holding my hands in surrender. “I was only listening! Please don’t--”

“Hey, don’t get it twisted,” he told me. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt anyone.”

I nodded, not knowing whether or not I could believe him. He sighed, walking over, and I moved back instinctively which just made him give me a sorrowful look.

“... Having trouble trusting people too, huh?”

I gulped, nodding again.

“... Masa too.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Sun-Sing’s coming to terms with it. Kenjiro’s still trying to escape... but with D-002 back in commission, I’m afraid his idea is just going to damage us more than help us.”

I knew my doubts had bubbled up to the surface then, because he seemed to read me like an open book.

“You’re thinking the same thing I am, huh?” Hisonora asked me sadly, sitting on the counter I had once hidden behind. “You think there’s no escape, but you’re too afraid to try and act on the motive.”

I sighed. “W-Why do you know that?”

“Because I am too.” Hisonora shrugged. “Ken and Motosuki don’t see it the way we do. They think there’s still a chance of freedom.”

“A-And Yoriko? Sun-Sing? Masa, Cerberus?”

Hisonora swilled his mouth about. “I think Yoriko and Sun-Sing are indifferent, or are being too hard to read. And then Masa and Cerberus... they’re thinking about it, and that scares me.”

“I-I didn’t know you could feel fear...” I told him truthfully.

Hisonora laughed to himself. “... Osen... Osen, Osen, Osen... All brains, no brawn, cute as a button.” He pulled me up next to him, letting me cuddle into his body.

It was like hugging a stone pillar. Oddly smooth and somewhat comforting, but I’d have like a little bit of give.

“There was a time where I could happily say I wasn’t afraid.” He told me a little story then, and I could only imagine a small music track behind it. “Before I lost those close to me. Before I began forgetting who I wanted to be. Before everything I had formed to become what I am today.”

He smiled, running his hand through my hair.

“I think it was the arrival of this idea that I could be the best at everything that things began to spiral out of control.” He chuckled. “When one talent became two, and two became three, onwards and upwards, gathering them like playing cards. Ten to twenty to fifty to a hundred. I have over 300 ultimate talents, and I find myself using at least a quarter of them every day.”

The stroking of my hair calmed my nerves, even as he began to sound a little darker.

“Of course, when you’re the best at everything, you find people start to attach themselves to you like bottom-feeders.” His hand stopped moving. “And when you’re dealing with things in and out, the destruction of your privacy becoming more and more apparent... these little fish eating with the same ferociousness as sharks... you step back and try to push away the feelings you’ve felt for too long.”

I looked up at him, my eye seeing what his face was showing.

“And even now, in this killing game... I felt people were relying on me.” The face showed... a blank expression. “They continued to push me towards this edge that I didn’t even know I was on. And I’ve marched onwards, pushing back, and there have been others who have helped.”

When he suddenly stood, my fear came back. He turned to me, taking a short knee.

“Through all of it... the fight against the Shadow, the attempt to discover the way out, holding above my head this banner of just pure Hope... I realised something that Yoriko could do that I couldn’t.”

I swallowed. “W-What is that?”

“Osen...” He chuckled again, the coldness actually striking me like a weapon. “I found out... that I have no idea what I’m doing. And I need your help so I can guide myself. For everyone’s sake.”

Despite the fear, I found myself curious. “You need... my help?”

“Yes, Osen.” He nodded at me. “I need you to do something for me, something more important than I can ever hope to achieve.”

Suddenly, he curled my hand, almost like he was holding it in preparation for a proposal of the marriage kind.

“I need you to promise me... that whatever happens next, whether it is good or bad, that you keep going.” He looked me dead in the eye as he spoke, able to be done from my elevated position. “You keep pushing forward, no matter what comes out of the darkness at you. And when you find a dead end, you beat on it with your fists like I know you can do.”

I looked at his hand, now holding my hand into a fist.

“No matter what happens... You keep moving forwards.”

I looked up at his eyes again. “Y-You... You’re saying this like--”

“Like it’s a goodbye.”

He finished my sentence for me. I tried to stand up, but my legs buckled, and I landed on my knees instead. Even after all of that and what he had told me, he still helped me to my feet when he could’ve gotten a running start.

“Osen...” He closed his eyes, holding me under the arm. “I know I’ll be dead soon. That’s just how my life was meant to be.”

“H-How do you know that?!” I failed not to yell at him. “How do you know you’re going to die?!”

“... Okay, I don’t know, then.” Hisonora shrugged. “It doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going to survive to the next morning.”

Tears welled over. “H-Hiso, you... You’re not going to c--”

“No, I’m not going to do what you think I am,” He stopped me. “To be honest, I’d like to think I’m past that now. My parents always called it the ‘Coward’s Exit’... the one thing I never liked about them.”

“Then what are you doing?” I tried to get in his way. “Why are you saying something’s going to happen?! W-We’re in this together, right...?”

“... Yoriko told me about this weird little theory he had recently.” Hisonora crossed his arms. “Called it the ‘Chaos Theory’. Apparently, it’s this idea that anything and everything is bound to happen, but we have no idea when it will. We can predict when, but not where, and we can predict where, but not when. Plans change and cancelled, or made on a whim... It happens simply because it can.”

I listened intently, not getting it.

“Well... I’m going to believe his theory is real. Just this once.” He smirked. “And I’m going to say that by the end of this day... I will be dead. I don’t know when, and I don’t know how it’ll happen... but I won’t be here by the time its midnight.”

Tears kept running down my face, but he suddenly wiped them.

“Don’t cry...” He smiled again. “It doesn’t look good on you.”

“I don’t understand...” I was broken. He was so confident about this... “I-I can’t... understand... why are you telling me this?”

Hisonora responded with a shrug. “I thought you deserve to know.”

I sniffled. Once again, a large mitt placed itself on my shoulder, and I found myself looking up. The shortest girl in the facility looking up at the tallest man, more than two feet of height between us.

“... Keep moving forward, okay?” His grin grew wider and goofier. “For my sake, if no one else’s.”

I sniffled again. But, in return, I found myself smiling back.

“... O-Okay.” I wiped my eye. “Okay, Hiso. For you.”

“I’m sure you can add the others in that too, right?” He told me. “Sun-Sing, Yoriko, Motosuki, Kenjiro, Masa and Cerberus... they all deserve to be in that spot too.”

“O-Of course...” I nodded. “Um... W-What should I do now?”

“Go get Motosuki for me, will you?” He waved his hand. “I need help carrying up hot chocolate to the others.”

I nodded, wiping the last of my eye’s tears away. “O-Okay!”

... As I jogged off, however, I never saw...

I never saw the small object below Hiso’s jacket.

**...**

I was probably just about to stop Kenjiro when Osen came running up to the Mastermind’s Quarters.

“Hey, Motosuki?” Osen asked gingerly. “Motosuki needs your help.”

I could see just by her face alone that she was crying. I had been hanging out with Sun-Sing when she arrived- all but Osen and Hisonora had been in here, so I decided to pick someone that had I had been having problems with.

I looked over at Osen. “Did you need me, too?”

“No, it’s just Motosuki,” she responded. “Though I guess you can come too if you think you need to. It’s just carrying hot chocolate up, so I doubt that--”

... I’ll never forget the sound that pierced my ears in that moment.

An explosion. It rocked the upper floors in the Mastermind’s Quarters, causing me to immediately grab and keep myself steady on the wall. Everyone else had felt it too- they were a mixture of confusion and fear and, in Osen, betrayal.

Betrayal?

I shook myself off. “Everyone okay?!”

“Was that an Earthquake...?” Masa asked, dusting herself off.

“Yes, earthquakes are usually accompanied by big booms!” Motosuki groaned. “God, that came out of nowhere...”

I looked to Osen, who had gone pale and was shivering.

“... Osen?” I began to approach.

“No.”

Suddenly, she was sprinting back down the ladder. I gave chase, a shade of red crossing my vision. This wasn’t possible- this couldn’t be right. It wasn’t what I thought it was, right?

We were all in the Mastermind’s Quarters. There was only one person who wasn’t.

Through the wall and out into the Grand Hallway, Osen didn’t stop. Not until she reached the doorway to the Grand Hallway, and she slowed to a crawl before falling to her knees.

An intense smell filled the air. Smelling of burnt hair and chargrill. An explosion had rocked the area, and coming from the smoke billowing under the kitchen door, Osen knew exactly which room.

I pushed past her gently, heading over to the door. I tested the handle with the back of my hand, feeling it was hot but not scorching, so I braced myself for the worst and threw the door wide open.

... I had to resist the urge to copy Osen in that moment. My feet barely stayed on solid ground as I fell backwards out the door, hitting the other side of the hallway.

The kitchen was a mess. It was covered in a disgustingly thick coat of blackened ash like the inside of a volcano had detonated inside, staining the area with the coating of blood I had been expecting to see pooled in one place. I had to re-enter, though, and that’s where I began choking- my bronchitis acted up instantly, forcing me to pull my shirt to my mouth.

Through the smoke, I saw exactly who the smell belonged to.

After all... Only Hisonora Yanjuu, the Ultimate Jack-Of-All-Trades, wore such a striking red suit, now in tatters from the force of the explosion that had rocked his entire body.

Even in death... he wore a smile. A smile that would never come to his lips again by natural means.

A smile that only he was wearing as Osen and Masa and Sun-Sing came in behind me.

... The Killing Game had begun anew.

**END DAILY LIFE**


	38. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DEADLY LIFE- INVESTIGATION

**DEADLY LIFE**

The scream that echoed the room didn’t come from Sun-Sing.

“Hiso!” Masa yelled into her hands. Sun-Sing was completely unresponsive- her eyes glazed over, the wet look of tears inside of them. I had to push her aside to get out of the room, coughing hard from the smell, while Kenjiro and Motosuki ran up behind us.

“Oh God, no...” Kenjiro gripped his hair and slowed while Motosuki barged into the room. “Don’t tell me it’s Hiso.”

“I-It’s him...” Motosuki looked away, scowling. “F-Fuck... Fuck, it... it’s really him.”

I hacked hard, stopping my coughing spree as the others entered slowly. I wanted to try and enter, too, but with the smoke and the burned ash coating the room I couldn’t even think to help.

“I don’t understand...” Masa knelt at his body. “I-I can’t... I can’t believe he’s dead.”

Sun-Sing stayed behind her. Looked like everyone was just as upset as each other- no, I think it was the fact we were so upset that it amplified off of each other.

We’d lost probably the only person keeping us together in this godforsaken place.

And to make matters worse, in came D-002, flaunting that positive vibe that he used daily. “Salutations, Hapless Students! It looks a body has been discovered!”

We all stayed silent, save Masa who was sobbing.

“... So I think you all know--”

“Shut it.” Motosuki pointed at him. “You cause nothing but suffering. Give us the file and fuck off.”

“But--”

“UH!” He pointed more forcefully. “File! Leave!”

D-002’s eyes blinked in a row. “I--”

“DUP!” Motosuki was just making sounds now. “EYEP! BADAP!”

D-002 scowled, along with audience muttering. He just prodded himself, sending the files to our watches like he had done three times before. This time, I was probably the first to actually read it due to my position.

‘The Victim is Hisonora Yanjuu. He was found in the Kitchen. The cause of death is organ failure via explosion due to close proximity.’

I paused for a second, realising something that probably didn’t matter. This time, the time of death hadn’t appeared. Not only that, but the cause of death had gotten more detailed... it had been a running trend that I hadn’t thought to think about until today.

Unfortunately, it seemed I was the only one who noticed.

“Close proximity explosion...” Kenjiro had looked at the file, too. “That means Hiso was probably feet away from where the explosion hit him. It would’ve killed him instantly... no suffering.”

“N-No suffering...” I repeated, clearing my throat afterwards. “No suffering. Okay.”

Kenjiro hummed. “Yoriko, go explore upstairs. Me and the others will do this room.”

Thankfully, Kenjiro seemed to recognise that I was having issues with the room. I immediately headed to the location he suggested, through the Grand Hallway and up the ladder- but not before removing my watch again and hanging it on the wall.

Better safe than sorry.

There, I met with the only one who didn’t seem interested in actually helping.

“Cerberus.” I sighed. “Why are you up here?”

“I don’t wish to see... who died.” Cerberus blinked at me. “It’s Hiso, yes?”

I know Cerberus didn’t know for sure. But since Hisonora was the only person who hadn’t been in that room, it...

It... made no sense for anyone to know Hisonora would be dead, if they hadn’t seen him.

“... How did you know?”

Cerberus shook his head. “Do not twist it the wrong way, Yoriko. It would be wise to assume Hiso is the one dead, considering we were all in this room when we heard the explosion.”

I made a mental note about that.

I nodded at him. “So, did you find anything worth noting?”

Cerberus turned like on a swivel, pointing at the door. A piece of C4 was taped to the door, the detonator nowhere to be seen. When they’d talked about blowing the door off the hinges, they’d meant it- but it made no sense for Cerberus to be showing me that, considering I already knew it was there.

“... What’s the problem?”

“Wrong area.”

Then my eyes scanned downwards and to the right, and my vision arrived at the thing in question. It was a small air duct, big enough to fit your hand in a fist through. I walked over, kneeling at it to see if I could open it- which I could.

In that moment, I realised something. “Cerberus, run down to the kitchen for me.”

“What for?” He asked thankfully.

“I’m going to toss something through this vent. If my hunch is correct... I think none of us have a good enough alibi.” I grabbed a rock from nearby. “Oh, and count how long it took. I’ll toss it down in a minute.”

Cerberus nodded, running down. Hopefully, our timers were set correctly- our internal ones, anyway. I waited a minute, tossing the rock down the vent, hearing the nearly silent clatter as it fell deep into the vents.

About a minute later, Cerberus returned, rock in hand. I grimaced as my hunch was correct.

The air duct connected to the kitchen. “How long did it take?”

“It took seven seconds, at least after the minute had passed.” Cerberus handed me the rock, which I tossed aside. “It is fair to say that a lot is possible to happen in that time?”

“A lot, yes...” I grimaced. I didn’t know enough about this subject to make any sound assumptions, which was a horrible thing. “We need to find where this ‘explosive’ could’ve come from. You guys found the C4, yes- what other explosives did you find?”

Cerberus tilts his head. “It was only the C4, Yoriko. We didn’t have another explosive.”

“So it’s an outside source...” I scribbled it down in my notepad, knowing full well I’d be getting it sent to the watch later on. “Where did you find it?”

“It was in a cabinet beneath the floorboards,” he explained. “We took the special passage in the armour room. Kept it hidden there, to hide the plan.”

“Did anyone else know where it was?” I asked calmly. Cerberus was giving me more than enough info- I guess that was a good thing.

“Masa.” He admitted. “She badgered me about it. I just wanted to keep her quiet.”

“Wait, how...” I paused. “How long has this explosive been there?”

“... After the third trial, I went exploring under the floorboards to see if the way you described the kill made sense.” He rubbed his arm. “There I found the explosive. Motosuki and Kenjiro followed me down to make sure I wasn’t suspicious.”

I hummed, scribbling quickly. “Got it.” I put my pad away, heading back down the ladder. As I left into the Grand Hallway, I grabbed my watch, putting it back on and making sure this time to check the Secret Clue which I knew wouldn’t help even slightly.

‘The Killer is the one who killed Hisonora.’

“Fucking... brilliant.” I growled into the air. “Talk about a cheap excuse for a clue...”

“Yoriko.” Suddenly, I was called by Kenjiro, who I immediately walked over to and listened intently. “I’ve done the autopsy. Sure enough, it was a clean blow- the explosion killed him instantly, like I said.”

I could help but smile to myself. “... Nice to know he didn’t suffer.”

“I would’ve rather if he didn’t die at all, but...” Kenjiro shook his head. “I found a lot of scarred tissue along his arms. Do you think it’s important?”

I had to look into Kenjiro’s eye to see if he already knew what it was, because I knew just from the words ‘scarred tissue’ that it was old. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“There’s also a gunshot wound in the back of his leg. Not fresh.”

“Again, not necessary.” I hummed. “Old injuries from when he was in the war, most likely. Some... sounds self-inflicted.”

“Exactly what I thought.” With that, Kenjiro pulled down his mask. “... I think you need to go talk to Osen and Motosuki. They have something to tell you, too.”

I thanked Kenjiro for his time as Cerberus flanked him, getting whisked into conversation. I walked past the kitchen, holding my breath as I saw Osen and Motosuki talking at the end of the corridor.

“-And he had these... dead eyes while he said it.” Motosuki seemed to add to the conversation. “I was half expecting them to suddenly glow red and he like... vibe check me or something, but... he was deadly serious.”

Osen went to speak, but spotted me first. “... Prepare your alibi, Motosuki.”

“Alibi’s already in play for Motosuki.” I got close enough to them to see Osen was uncomfortable. “I’m more interested in what you both know about what you last saw with him.”

They shared a glance, and Motosuki signalled Osen to start.

“H-Hiso... Hiso knew he was going to die.” Osen trembled as she spoke. “He t-told me that he knew someone was trying to kill him, and...”

“I won’t be here by the time its midnight.” Motosuki seemed to remember it like a script. “I... I just have those words bouncing around my head, I...”

“He predicted his own death...” I looked back up the corridor, seeing that Kenjiro had moved to comfort Sun-Sing. “He knew it was coming... And it’s safe to assume that he knew it wasn’t going to be fair.”

“Nobody would take Hiso head on, right?” Motosuki shrugged comically. “It’d be like... well, like taking on a bull in a full red suit.”

I watched Osen physically have to restrain herself from correcting him on how bulls actually worked.

“But that’s the issue,” She said instead. “How else would he die?”

“Yoriko, you have to have an idea, right?” Motosuki asked me.

I nodded. “I have a theory, but nothing too concrete. I will by the trial.”

“Thatta boy!” Motosuki clicked and pointed at me. “Knew we could rely on you.”

“Yes, well, don’t count yourself lucky. I’m still looking for anything that could paint a killer black.”

Motosuki shrugged. “I mean, that’s still an achievement! You’re pretty good at finding out who the killer is.”

Osen poked her fingers together. “Um... I... do have a question.”

“Shoot,” I told her.

“Y-Yoriko... do you think...” She gulped. “Do you think this might be...?”

... Strangely enough, I knew where she was going with it. Because in my mind, I was thinking it to.

“... D-002!” I yelled suddenly. “I know you’re watching. Get out here.”

D-002 dropped from the ceiling, the cheer of the crowd echoing behind him. “Salutations, Hapless Students! How can I help you, Yoriko?”

“Need you to clear something up.” I adjusted my shirt, the scratches I had forcing me to remember what he’d done to me. “Is it possible that this is a suicide?”

D-002’s audience murmured amongst themselves. “Of course not! Suicide is never able to happen while I’m around!”

Osen sucked air through her teeth, slightly panicked. “T-Then... this is a murder.”

“... Not necessarily.” I crossed my arms, looking down at D-002. “So you’re telling me that, without any doubt, this is a murder?”

“That’s correct!”

“What if it WAS a suicide?” Motosuki stepped forward, putting his hands in a prayer motion and pointing his fingertips at D-002. “What would happen?”

“Simple!” D-002 chuckled. “We’d class whoever could’ve stopped the suicide as the blackened instead!”

Behind me, I felt Osen give the mother of all flinches. “B-But... That’s not fair! What if they didn’t know?”

“What do you mean?” D-002 tilted his head.

“W-Well, it’s possible that they didn’t even know it happened, right?!” Osen was getting angry, and rightly so. “There’s a chance that nobody would know that he would’ve done it, right? So what then?!”

D-002 shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. This isn’t a suicide, darling! It’s a cold-blood murder, fair and square!”

Osen groaned, gripping the area where her eye was. Motosuki seemed less than amused about all of this, walking towards the Grand Hallway, which didn’t matter anyway as the clackson went off that signalled investigation was over.

I checked my watch, the clues unlocking comically. Eight clues... That’s all we got. Yet somehow, I felt like that’s all we’d need.

I headed to the trial room with the others, D-002 hopping in behind us and climbing up to his podium. I got in my own, shaking my head at the quill-like X of Kane and the question mark of Hisonora’s X.

Someone in this room was joining the row of X’s. Someone had murdered Hisonora.

And it was now my job... no, our job... To bring that person to light.

**BEGIN TRIAL- ALL RISE!**

**...**

D-FILE: ‘The Victim is Hisonora Yanjuu. He was found in the Kitchen. The cause of death is organ failure via explosion due to close proximity.’

SECRET CLUE: The Killer is the one who killed Hisonora.

BODY AUTOPSY: Due to the violence of the explosion, not to mention how close he would’ve been to it, it’s fair to say Hisonora died instantly. Kenjiro also notes that no additional injuries were found on his body worth noting, as they either too old or too random to be related.

BEFORE THE EXPLOSION: Before the explosion, all students except Hisonora were accounted for in the Mastermind’s Quarters. Motosuki, Kenjiro and Osen knew Hisonora was in the kitchen. Osen was the last one to arrive in the Mastermind’s Quarters, around twenty seconds before the explosion.

AIR DUCT: An Air Duct, placed in the wall nearby the door to escape the facility. It links directly to the kitchen. An object travelling through it would take seven seconds to reach the kitchen from it.

CERBERUS’ ALIBI: Cerberus, Motosuki and Kenjiro are responsible for finding the explosives in a hidden cabinet below the armoury’s floor. There are no other explosives hidden inside. They kept it hidden until two hours before the murder, alerting Masa to its position too.

HISONORA’S FINAL MESSAGE: According to both Osen and Motosuki, Hisonora seemed to know that he was going to die. Though he wasn’t sure exactly when or how, he believed that someone was trying to kill him, and that he wasn’t going to live the rest of the day.

OSEN’S THEORY: Though she’s not certain, Osen believes that this could be a suicide. However, D-002 has stated that suicide is classified as murder, the blackened being the person who could’ve prevented it, if it’s even a suicide at all.


	39. CHAPTER 4- A DESPAIR TOO GREAT TO BEAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIAL...?

**TRIAL**

“I shall begin with a basic explanation of the class trial. The game is simple! If you committed the murder, your task as the Blackened is to lie and deceive your way out of this. If you are innocent, you are considered the Spotless, and you will be fighting to stop the Blackened from escaping! If the Blackened wins, they will be granted their greatest desire, as well as freedom, but if the Spotless wins the game will continue; but you’ll all live. You have two hours- begin!”

“I want to start by mentioning something.” I was immediately on it. “There’s something I want to get off my chest...”

“Sure. What is it?” Masa asked.

“Is there a chance that this kill has been planned to make us all seem like the killer?” I eyed the crowd, seeing nobody react differently. “What I mean is... this kill has been planned so well that it almost feels like someone with experience could do it.”

“I guess...” Kenjiro adjusted his mask. “The issue is, where do we even start with this?”

“I guess we start with the obvious!” Motosuki points to the sky. “We should talk alibis!”

“What Alibi?” Kenjiro motions with both hands. “We all have the SAME alibi. We were all in the Mastermind’s Quarters when the body discovery announcement happened.”

“That’s not exactly what he meant,” I mentioned. “He’s talking about alibis that happened before the kill.”

I eyed Osen, knowing that this was all going to come down to the fact she was the last person to enter there.

The first discussion to happen came quickly.

“We need to discuss the people who were in the Mastermind’s Quarters!” Motosuki said obliviously.

“We were ALL in the Mastermind Quarters,” Kenjiro corrected him. “That’s the reason we can’t determine who it is.”

“Well, not all of us,” Sun-Sing said. “Osen wasn’t in it.”

“I was the last person to enter,” Osen corrected. “Just because of that, that doesn’t make me suspicious... Right?”

“How about you Cerberus?” Masa pointed to him.

“I am unaware of what to say,” Cerberus had his eyes closed. “After all, there’s _evidence pointing to others _that were with us.”

I nodded. “You’re talking about the vent... Or, well, the Air Duct. It was right next to the way out.”

Masa nodded as well. “I-I didn’t see but... I can see a picture. And I can imagine it.”

“Yeah, well...” Motosuki did a few motions. “That’s... not a problem, you know?”

Kenjiro flashed Motosuki a look.

“After all, I didn’t know it was there, either.” Motosuki shrugged. “Even though I was... clearly the closest.”

“No, you idiot.” Kenjiro was to his defence. “I was. And I actually saw it. That’s why I tried to hide it. I didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.”

Once again, it appeared these two were going to be defending each other. I wondered if it was a good thing. Nevertheless, I checked to see if there was anything else I needed to see writing down.

“Osen,” I heard Masa say. “Can I ask... what did take you so long to join us?”

“I was talking with Hiso,” She replied truthfully. “H-He... said some things I really didn’t like.”

“You’re talking about...” I flicked to the new evidence. “Hisonora’s Final Message. About how he knew that he was going to be killed, right?”

“Yeah, I got that conversation too,” Motosuki said while nodding. “I tried to see if I could talk him out of it, but then he promised me marshmallows in my hot chocolate and I kinda forgot to tell you guys.”

Kenjiro facepalmed. Sun-Sing simply scowled.

Cerberus got my attention, so I gave him the go-to signal that he could speak. “May I also mention that Motosuki knew of the Grenade’s position?”

“Yeah, well, so did I,” Kenjiro said again. “And you did. And anybody who you told... Which reading here is Masa?”

Masa wrung her hands. “I’ve... not been happy with what was going on, s-so...”

“Wait, I’ve got a question!” Almost like he was distracting us, Motosuki came out of nowhere. “What happened to the Motive?! Why are we doing a class trial?”

D-002 sliced his fingers together. “Did I not mention you had to get away with it?”

“Noooo, that’s not what we agreed on!” Motosuki reveals that, on the back of his hand is writing. “I wrote this shit down, thank you very much! You told us that if the blackened committed murder they could take one of the others with them and skedaddle out of here!”

“That’s... true.” I was kind of shocked that he remembered that. “You never mentioned anything about a trial. Why would you, if there was no reason to?”

D-002 stayed completely silent. Hisonora’s words rung in my head- about how D-002 couldn’t lie in a trial. Surely, that meant he could lie whenever he wanted outside of it, but now we’d caught him in the act.

“The motive never really mattered, did it?” Osen picked it up. “Y-You... You lied to us.”

“Either that...” Sun-Sing bit her lip. “Or he’s gone back on his word.”

“Either way that means this trial is forfeit,” Kenjiro told us.

“Hey! You don’t get to decide that!” D-002 flew upwards, gripping the railing of his podium. “I am the host! I decide whether something matters or not!”

“Then tell us.” Masa crossed her arms in a huff. “Why are we having a trial if this motive would’ve acted upon the final three, where the trial never would’ve mattered?”

“Simple.” D-002 coughed robotically. “I just never explained that the trial had to happen. Just because it’s a motive that would’ve been used later doesn’t mean I’m gonna act like it is.”

“So basically- fuck you, I own the rules?” Motosuki asked him.

“Well, if that’s your answer...” I drummed my podium. “I guess we have no choice but to continue.”

I hated having to do it, but if we didn’t, the time limit would spring on us. We were still looking for a killer, here, so it wasn’t like we weren’t the safe zone.

And yet, this new information came as a surprise. Could D-002 so easily twist the rules to be his own? Was he really that petty, or did we just miss something when he was talking about the motive...?

Nevertheless, we had to keep going. My eyes sharpened, focusing on Masa’s expression as I brought up the next point.

“I’d like to talk about the explosives. You found them under the facility, right?”

As I expected, Masa seemed to know immediately what I was talking about.

“How did you--”

Masa cut Kenjiro off. “Cerberus told me you guys found the explosives. It’s part of the evidence now... Might as well come clean.”

Cerberus nodded. Kenjiro and Motosuki did another look at each other.

And then... She exploded.

“It was me.”

I knew right off the bat that Sun-Sing was lying. There was no way on Earth it was her- she was just trying to take blame. I shut her down.

“No, Sun-Sing.” I referred to the evidence. “You were at the far back. You had no access to the vent at the door.”

“Then I need to ask...” Masa bit her lip. “Who could it be?”

Getting right to the point, I see. Well, the issue was, there was only three it could possibly be.

“... Kenjiro, Motosuki, Osen.” I sighed. “They’re the three main culprits.”

Kenjiro nodded acceptingly. Motosuki didn’t react. Osen...

Osen laughed to herself.

“... Osen? Why are you--”

“It’s silly, isn’t it?” She didn’t speak in a tone I was familiar with. “I... I knew this was coming. I knew the second I was the last one in the room, you’d be blaming me.”

Kenjiro pulled his mask over his mouth. The emotionless tune came from behind it. “I guess if it’s one of us... All truth on the table.”

“Yeah!” Motosuki smiled. “All truth. No lies.”

All the while, I kept a good eye on the others. They were... sad, but accepting. They just wanted this to be over.

We’d been here fifteen minutes and I agreed with that statement.

“If I’m going to b-be targeted...” Osen squeaked out. “Then I’m fighting back. I’m not the killer.”

“Well, we need evidence to contradict that,” Masa explained. “What says that you aren’t?”

Osen smiled hard, but her eyes bubbled like brooks. “I don’t have any.”

“You... don’t have any evidence you aren’t the killer?”

“I don’t have any evidence at all.” Osen shook her head. “I just... I don’t have anything. What I do have... is knowledge. And I can tell you now...”

She points, and there’s a small, tiny breath that escapes me.

“Kenjiro and Motosuki aren’t the killers either.”

I was in shock. I had no reason to DOUBT that, but... to hear such a bold statement come from Osen of all people was... interesting. As much as she was my friend, I had to counter her.

“What says the vents?” I scratched my neck. “The things right at Kenjiro’s feet?”

“Well, it’s... certainly appealing to say the least.” Osen crossed her arms. I realised in that moment that she was copying me- the way I acted while I was using evidence. “I’ve been reading it, over and over. Wanting to know the truth. I think I found it.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, breathing in sharply. “Well, if you have a rebuttal-”

“I do.” She looked me in the eyes. “Because I know something you don’t.”

“You know many things I don’t. But what specifically?”

Osen pounded both hands on the podium.

“I know the murder weapon.”

I waited for the continuation of that sentence.

“... It was a grenade.”

... But it wasn’t from Osen that replied. I looked straight at Motosuki, who coughed under his breath.

“Listen, Osen.” He shook his head. “I’m not about to steal your thunder, but... you’ve already told me this. It was the first thing you ever said to me, about the kill. How you think- thought- that you... knew.”

“Which means, by technicality... you know the killer, as well.” Kenjiro sounded completely and utterly finished. “You know who killed Hisonora.”

Osen nodded. “I do.”

“And by the way you... are delaying, the inevitable... you’re aware that the answer will cause some sort of riot.” Kenjiro continued.

“I... I do.”

“Well?” Masa was getting impatient. “Who?”

Osen took another deep, deep breath.

“The killer... The killer was Hisonora.”

Instinctively, I looked at Hisonora’s... portrait. The victim of this trial... was Hisonora Yanjuu. Does that mean that... Hisonora was the killer, too?

But that made it suicide. If... If Hisonora had done this to himself...

For the first time in a long, long time... I felt frustrated with myself. Because there was one piece of evidence that told us what happened next.

With a heavy heart, I switch to Osen’s Theory. The theory that, confirmed D-002, made this so much worse.

Osen was not the killer.

But Osen was going to be killed for her actions.

...

...

... Why was I crying?

I touched my cheek, feel a tear run down it. Why was I crying? I had no reason to- we’d... we’d found the killer, we... we were free. We didn’t need to panic, right?

So why did I want to deny it? Cold, hard evidence, placed in front of me, and I... I couldn’t find the words to say it. In fact, my hand just hovered over the evidence, unable to speak or even breathe.

But I had to breathe. I had to tell the others.

I had to...

...

I... I put my hand down. “So a suicide then.”

My voice was shaky. I knew in that moment, they already knew that I knew the truth. I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t condemn another person to death like this- with Kane and Hirota and Yuno, it had been... easier? More... rewarding. Something like that. But... Osen truly hadn’t done anything.

Had she?

Sun-Sing was the first to speak after me. “So what happens now?”

“Well, reading the evidence...” Masa spoke. “We find the person who could’ve stopped it. After all, we...”

And her eyes turn to me. And she stopped talking. My frustration grew, my rage etching on my face. I couldn’t let this happen. Osen didn’t deserve this. Nobody did.

I had to throw someone under the bus.

“There’s still a chance that--”

_“Yoriko, stop.”_

Osen had a small smile on her face. She... was a complete opposite to me, as my rage and anguish and... despair... looked back at her.

“It’s okay... I know what I’m doing.”

I tried to keep calm, I really did. But I found myself yelling. “No... No you don’t! You don’t understand at all. You... There’s still other evidence, we can figure out together!”

“And figure out the same conclusion?” She said. “No... Sorry to, uh, take a page of Motosuki’s book.”

She sighed, and laughed.

“No... I don’t think I will.”

What followed was not the usual showdown I was used to. Mostly because I was the one screaming. The one trying his best to counter the words. Osen started the conversation, but I was going to end it.

“If this was a suicide, then what D-002 said comes into play. Hiso died by his own hands, making me the next one in line. After all, I was the last one to see him.”

“But that’s not fair!” I yelled back. “What says that?! Why does that makes you the killer?!”

“Because that’s all it is!” She replied, exhausted. “I’m sorry, Yoriko, but that’s truly how this ends. My theory is correct. I am going to die... and I don’t think I... I can escape that, either.”

Again, another roar. “T-There’s still a way out! I can figure this out, please, give me time!”

“I don’t know how much time we have.” Osen shrugged. “I mean, I think I’m already my grave. D-002 said it himself- _if only I’d been for him_, I could’ve prevented from--”

And the yell from me as I found my weave-point rocked the room.

“THAT’S IT!”

I know I scared her, but she let me speak. “What?”

“You couldn’t have prevented it.” I pointed again. “Because by the time the explosion happened, you were in the Mastermind’s Quarters with me.”

Osen paused, her mouth opening and then closing again. I... couldn’t tell what expression she was making.

“Does that... count?”

With a small look of pride, and relief and a little bit of gloating, I looked to D-002. “Well? Does it?”

D-002 responded in his familiar fashion. “Well of course it does! She was the last person who could’ve prevented it.”

“From a completely different area?”

... The crowd murmured. That was all the evidence I needed because when that happened, it meant D-002 didn’t know the answer himself.

“... So what’s the sitch?” Motosuki said. “Who do we vote for?”

“Nobody.” I responded. “Because Nobody is the correct answer.”

“Can’t vote for dead people,” Sun-Sing said, a little harshly. “That means that we just wait here in silence, right?”

“NOW HOLD ON!” D-002 was quick to counter. “You haven’t exhausted all the possibilities yet!”

“That’s... true,” Kenjiro said, playing Devil’s Advocate. “There’s still the vent. What excuse can we make?”

“I can think of a few,” Osen replied. “For example, the murder weapon was a grenade, correct? What kind of grenade was it?”

“How are we supposed to know?” Masa responded. “It’s a grenade. Are there that many different kinds?”

“There are six,” Osen responded quickly. “But... I have a theory to which kind it could be. After all, you found the secret area below the War Armour, correct? The kind used in World War II?”

“What are you getting at?” Motosuki responded.

“Well, if the grenade was... of that era...” She smiled, this time actually happy. “Then the grenade was from World War II. Ergo... it has a fuse timer of four seconds.”

I flicked back to the evidence. “It took seven to travel to the kitchen.”

“But that’s!” D-002 had nothing. The audience gasped in shock. “What if it WASN’T that type of grenade?”

“Then you’ve messed up again,” Sun-Sing responded. “Because that means _you_ don’t know.”

“I!”

“And another thing,” Kenjiro continued the conversation. “The C4 that Motosuki and I found was wired detonated. It was hooked up- couldn’t be exploded, with the detonator cord.”

“And we measured that shit,” Motosuki added. “It’s two foot long. Last I check, seven seconds can’t be spread over two foot.”

“That... makes no sense, but we’ll go with it,” Kenjiro nodded to him.

“Which brings me to the final point.” I pointed. “D-002... what happens in this case?”

... Silence. The first time D-002 had ever refused to answer a question. It was completely out of character, which meant it was completely in the right.

We’d stumped him. He’d never had this before.

I say... We. It was Hisonora. He did this... he found a way to get around the rules of the killing game.

“... Always smart, wasn’t he?” I mumbled to myself. “Always finding a way to get under D-002’s skin.”

This was essentially the ultimate gut punch. Fitting, considering that might’ve been one of his Ultimate Talents.

D-002 made some smoking sounds. “I... I’ve been tricked? No, no, this is wrong... this... is...”

“So how about you let us go now?”

D-002 looked up at me. “What?”

“You heard me. This trial is over. We’ve found your killer, and since they are already dead, that means you get no execution. Not to mention that we survive, since we’re all spotless.” Like everyone else, I began smiling. “Unless you really want to wait out the timer?”

In 30 minutes, we’d accomplished more than D-002 had ever expected.

... Which meant there was a catch.

“... Does it sound like its over?” He suddenly snickered, an evil type of laugh. “I’m not done... I never said I was... You think I can accept this ending?”

Masa shook her head. “Defiant to the end, huh?”

“You don’t... understand... the amount of work that went into this. The amount of people I’ve had to slaughter to get this far.” His cloak suddenly caught fire as the whirring of gears created smoke. “I am the host of this killing game. YOU DON’T GET TO TALK BACK!”

My smile faded.

“How about this then?!” He suddenly the wheel behind him. “One lucky spin. One to decide it all. I’ll... I’ll turn this to a bloodbath if I had to! This game isn’t over.”

And with a flick of the wrist, he spun the wheel. It spun with far more force than I remembered.

“And then, when this is done...” He began to laugh every other word. “We’ll keep playing. Until the game finishes for good. You understand?! FOR GOOD. TWO PEOPLE LEFT. Like it’s always meant to be.”

He tried pointing with his claw, but it malfunctioned, falling to his side. He growled, bashing it with his other hand.

“I can keep going!” Now, the tone was panicked. “I can keep going! I’m a good host, I... I didn’t break the rules! This game isn’t over! I...”

“That’s enough.”

... For the first time, Cerberus spoke without prompting.

D-002 looked at him. Wide-eyed. Scared. Something I didn’t think he could do. Smoke and fire consumed his form, the glowing yellow eyes still beaming.

“What did you say?”

“I said...” Cerberus took a stride forward. “That’s. Enough. We have played with you for too long. It is time for our freedom, don’t you think?”

D-002 watched the wheel slow down.

“... I can’t... lose...”

And as the wheel came to a stop... D-002 stopped moving. His eyes dulled and turned off as his body crumbled from beneath him, unable to hold his form.

D-002 was dead. And though the wheel landed on ‘Host’, like it had all those days ago, nothing happened. The trial room itself began to move back upwards, back to the Grand Hallway.

“We did it.” Motosuki began to get excited. “Holy shit, we... actually did it!”

“Not yet,” Kenjiro pulled his mask down. “We need to get the doors off, first. Then we’ve done it.”

Sun-Sing tackled Osen into a hug. “Never scare me like that again.”

Osen erupted in blush. “O-Okay.”

Masa shook her head, walking over to Cerberus. They didn’t talk, just watched. I also watched, but... I laughed. This was over. Finally, over.

... Finally... over?

... The Hope to turned to Doubt when I looked to where D-002 was standing. He was still down for the count, a smouldering mess, but he... he truly gone? I couldn’t think straight when I thought about it. It seemed far too likely. Far too... happy-ending.

That’s why, when we began the trek back to the Grand Hallway... I paused, and waited for Osen to arrive behind me.

“Osen.”

“Yoriko?”

“I need you to... tell me.” I looked around. “Do you still have that AI chip I gave you?”

“...” Osen patted her pockets. “Yeah, it’s... here.”

She removed it, showing it was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief. After all, how easy another Host would appear had she not taken it from me.

Up the stairs and to the Mastermind’s Quarters, everything was still as well left it. The C4 was still planted on the door, the detonator cable still on the floor below it. Motosuki grabbed the detonator, walking the two feet away that gave us barely enough wriggle room to feel safe. I’d be hard-pressed to say we had cover, but the Mastermind’s Console was in a good enough position to hide us.

“Three... Two... One...” Motosuki pressed the button. “Boom.”

And Boom it did- the explosion was large enough that I got scared for a moment, but as Kenjiro had said it didn’t scorch us. A few rubble pieces from the ceiling caved it, not big enough to be threatening, but heavy enough to need moving as one of the doors flew off its hinges. We approached the dark, whatever was waiting outside truly better than what would be in.

...

There... there was a pause. A bubble of silence as we stared at the graveyard around us. The church, now more obvious it was a crypt behind us. We were terrified. I ran my hand along a gravestone and...

Had to stop myself from falling in as I realised it was an unmarked plot.

No, not unmarked. Marked with... my name. And six others lay out to their sides. There were buried ones, too- graves that had the names of the dead students we’d... come to know.

I felt Kenjiro pause at Akako’s as I walked over to the gate. I stood there, amazed that Hope’s Peak Academy was just across the block.

I saw someone. Someone I didn’t know, but... I wish I did. Because I screamed for them, louder than then I had ever screamed before.

“OVER HERE!” I yelled. “PLEASE, HELP US!”

...

... The person turned.

The... ‘person’ turned.

I fell backwards. My throat went dry and my eyes began to water as I saw him.

I knew who it was. I knew that person but... it had taken them actually looking at me for me to know for sure.

They crossed the street and stood at the gate. Looking on me with a sick, sadistic grin. That I had... known. Known for far too long.

I shook my head. “No. No you’re dead, you... You died.”

They kept smiling. I got up.

“You...” Rage grew. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

More smiling.

“... Bastard.”

And with a mighty fist, I threw all my weight behind my punch into the face of the man who had killed my sister.

My old love.

And found my hand going through him.

“W-What?” I pulled back. “What? What do you--?”

And he walked away, satisfied. Osen walked over, but I didn’t hear her voice. In fact, there were a few voices. Of my... friends, the one I cared about, but... things were going dark. Rage and sadness and betrayal and despair and...

P-Pain?

... I looked down then. Down at my hands.

Down at my hand.

... And then I passed out.

**EPILOGUE**

Kenjiro placed a cold pack across Yoriko’s head, holding him still. Behind him, Motosuki and Osen were busy worrying.

“Is he going to be okay?” Osen asked.

“I don’t know.” Kenjiro replied. They had returned to the medical office- it was the only place that Kenjiro could actually help. “He... Did you see what he did?”

“I don’t know!” Osen replied. “One second he’s yelling and the next he... He’s stuck a hand in a bear trap.”

Motosuki shook his head. “Did he not see it?”

“I think he saw something else,” Kenjiro shook his head. “Something that I don’t think any of us saw in time.”

Kenjiro ran his hand along Yoriko’s shoulder, down his arm and to the bandages of the new stump that Yoriko had acquired. Freedom... It was illusion, all this time. The sky they’d seen? LED. The building was cardboard. And the people, mere holograms.

False life outside the window. False Hope.

Osen wept into her hands. “I-It’s not over.”

“Go to the canteen,” Kenjiro replied, a little sharper than he wanted to be. “We’ll discuss this later.”

... Osen left quickly. Motosuki remained, walking over and looking down at Yoriko. “... He’s gonna pull through, right?”

“Of course, not enough blood to be wasted.” Kenjiro pointed at the blood pack. “Now that D-002 is gone, I think we’re... truly trapped.”

“... Then I guess I’ll repeat what I said.” Motosuki suddenly patted his shoulder. “No lies. All truth.”

“Go ahead. Not like we’re wasting time.”

Motosuki turned Kenjiro to him.

And suddenly...

He planted a kiss right on his lips. For a few seconds, Kenjiro struggled. He wasn’t sure was happening. But... after the fourth, he relented. And the kiss blossomed with passion.

It was... offensive, sure, but everything that Motosuki had hoped it would be. For a week now Motosuki had thought of this day. For Kenjiro, it was merely a moment.

Motosuki smiled as he pulled back.

“My question that I wanted to ask... but, you know, a little weird to ask it without the first part.” He chuckled. “My question.”

“Shoot,” Kenjiro replied.

“... Was that good enough for you?”

Kenjiro replied by returning the favour.

**CHAPTER 4 END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Earlier than expected, better than I thought it'd come out. Loving life.
> 
> Chapter 5 is gonna be pretty sporadic. We're in weird times- I hope my novels are helping you.
> 
> See you soon! And don't forget about the intermission in a few days~  
\- Joseph


	40. INTERMISSION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

I walked into the bank that day expecting to make a transaction. What I ended up having was a conversation.

Making my way to the front of the area, I took a breath in to speak, only for it to catch in my throat. I recognised the man behind the counter- sure, he wasn't wearing his mask, nor was he wearing his original clothing. Maybe that's why Mutsuko looked so good- the new black suit he wore fit him amazingly.

"Mutsuko?" I said immediately.

"... Sun-Sing." He looked at me with burning eyes and a smile. "Been a while."

I had to stop talking and make a transaction, but when I did I stood aside and waited for Mutsuko to break away from his job. He did so willingly, coming over to talk with me with a stride of confidence he'd never used before. Our conversation wasn't anything special- it was just us talking about how our lives had changed since we'd broken off, which basically amounted to trading stories of our jobs.

Of course, that eventually brought us to... "I heard what happened."

I bit my lip. The more I talked about it, the less it hurt, and yet GOD was it still agony. "Yeah."

"Well, it means that we're back together, no?"

I flinched. "God, sorry... I didn't expect you to speak casually."

"It's been a long journey, but yes, I'm speaking 'normally'." He chuckled at his own joke. "It helps get points over, I found."

"Yes, well I wouldn't know about that."

... An awkward silence ensued. Was there really nothing to talk about?

"That's a large sum of money you took out today." He looked at me, crossing his arms. "Are you going somewhere?"

"... I'm..." I sighed. "I'm re-instating at Hope's Peak."

Mutsuko cocked an eyebrow. "After all that, you still wish to go back? You know the risk you pull. Hope's Peak have been discovered as the orchestrate behind the killing games."

"Yes, but now they're ASKING for people to participate." I fanned through the bills. "And I'm paying for the reserve course. I'm not going straight in."

"Then why don't you go after the NEO Program instead?" he reminded me. "That new branch that opened. Nobody there is expected to be in a killing game, plus you can become a teacher after the NEO course has run its... c-course."

... We both laughed at that notion.

"Well, to be honest, I'm..." I sighed. "I'm going back because Shui's there."

The silence deafened me, and I was suddenly aware that the mention of Shui's name had made Mutsuko go pale.

"... Is something wrong?"

"Sun-Sing, Shui has been..." Mutsuko gritted his teeth. "Busy, let's say. He's... toying with life."

"Then I guess I'm going to go see it myself."

Mutsuko shook his head. "I could come with you."

"No. I need to go alone." I said it sharper than I wanted to, but if I didn't he wouldn't understand. "He's... invited me. I'm just making sure I have an out if he ends up being too persuasive."

Mutsuko facepalmed. "You're going to regret this."

"I know." I turned and began walking away. "... I know."

And as I left... I repeated those words once more to myself. Because after all, I did know.

I knew exactly what was about to happen.

That's why... I had found them all.

To say goodbye.


	41. CHAPTER 5- A DESPAIR AS DEADLY AS SNAKE'S VENOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 22(A)
> 
> SEVEN PARTS REMAIN.

**Day 22(A)**

‘It’s been a week since the murder of Hisonora Yanjuu.

To be honest, I think a week of silence is better than anything we’ve dealt with so far. A week of nothingness is better than the constant noise of buzzing birds that had plagued us up to this point.

Of course, that didn’t come without its own problems. For starters, there is no exit. None that any of us can find. I’ve probably explored every inch of that graveyard and I’ve not seen a single sign of it leading anywhere.

Yoriko lost his left hand. It was removed by a trap on the other side of the fence, which sprung on him when he put his hand through. We’re... still not sure what happened, he refuses to tell us. Not even Kenjiro, who has spent the most time with him, has managed to get him to talk. He just stays in the medical room, day in, day out, refusing to leave.

Speaking of Kenjiro, he and Motosuki got together. I don’t know what the turning point was for that relationship; One day, they just announce they’re dating. It doesn’t really make sense to me, but I guess they’ve spent enough time together that I don’t mind. I’m happy if they’re happy?

That’s the issue, at the end of the day. I’m not sure what I’m feeling. Ever since the trial where I almost lost my life, I’ve felt hollow about everything. Food doesn’t taste as good, the lights don’t seem as bright. I thought it was just my arrhythmia but Masa agrees that things aren’t looking as good as they used to be. With no way out, we’re all beginning to accept what’s going on.

I don’t want to start a new life down here. But freedom’s not coming, is it? We’re trapped. I bet if D-002 was here, he’d laugh at us. But we’ve even rooted through the robot and there was nothing worth noting about it. We’re trapped- trapped in a place that is beginning to feel too familiar for its own good.’

... My pen tapped the paper. It was spare leafs of it, so I didn’t feel bad about writing on it. I shook my head, the bandages on my eye feeling looser and less constricting.

As I wrote, I spoke the words I was writing. My handwriting was neat, even I’d admit that, but today it felt far neater than usual. Like I was writing a will.

“... I miss you, Chuu.” I sighed, my mind drifting back to the friend I’d lost. “I miss you with all my heart. I’m sorry that, when you needed me most, I couldn’t see it.”

And there were the tears I was waiting for. I looked at my paper, careful not to let my waterworks drip onto it.

“I just wish Yoriko would tell me what’s going on.”

And with that, I pushed the paper away, satisfied with it. I put the pen down hard, a little noisier than I wanted it to be, looking around the office room that connected the hallway outside to the Weapons Room.

Part of me wondered if I’d forgotten something.

I shook my head and got up, adjusting my skirt as I went. I took a single step towards the door and...

Realised there was something else in the room with me.

My head turned. It wasn’t a person, but it wasn’t D-002- how could it be, I suppose- but I knew it hadn’t been there since the start. The darkened room made me nervous that what I was looking at wasn’t supposed to be there.

I took a gentle step towards it, and then another when I realised it wasn’t going to move. My mind was moving a hundred miles an hour, but my heart seemed to be beating fine as I shakily reached out my hand and put it onto the highest point.

My hand touched two things then, having landed on the middle of it.

Soft, fluffy fur and cold, metallic steel.

“What... are you?”

I knelt down, suddenly looking down at the face. Half of it was strangely cuddly looking, like a plush toy or a mascot’s face, while the other was sharp and detailed, demonic in appearance, with an eye that looked like it had ripped through the creature. The body was snake like, but with arms and shoulders and a clear ribcage, much like a male Medusa, the colours of white and black going down it.

I wasn’t stupid. I’d seen this kind of creature before.

It was a Monounit. Inactive, and waiting for a way to come back into reality. What it was waiting for, clearly, was some sort of AI chip that would give it the personality it needed. The AI chip in my pocket.

I immediately turned and went to leave.

Why would I ever activate a Monounit willingly? I’d said I didn’t want to start a new life, but I would sure as hell take that over restarting the killing game.

I put my hand on the doorknob and stopped, looking back for just a single second, before throwing open the door and walking out into the corridor.

What I did see was the tail end of Yoriko, who I immediately tried to call after, but he just gave me a sharp look and kept walking. I decided to follow him, seeing that he was heading into the canteen, so I chased him in to find that...

Well, everyone was already there.

“... W-huh?”

“Sit down.” Yoriko told me, harshly. “We’ve got a lot to discuss.”

I did as I was told, intimidated by the fact Yoriko was using a tone I wasn’t familiar with.

“... It’s been a week.” He began pacing, massaging the area where his hand used to be. “In that week, I’ve been thinking about anything and everything that’s been going on. And while yes, one thing has been positive...”

He motioned with his hand to Kenjiro and Motosuki, sitting together near the front.

“... I cannot see joy in anything else. So I’m making a call.”

He suddenly removed something from his pocket, putting it down on the table in front of him.

“Let’s fight back.” He pushed the pistol towards us. “Let’s shoot at every wall and ceiling in that ‘graveyard’, see if we can’t break our way out.”

“Sounds good to me!” Motosuki was instantly convinced.

“Wait, you want to just...” Sun-Sing motioned to the gun. “Shoot everything? Won’t that damage the foundations?”

“Since when did you care about damaging foundations?” Yoriko replied. I flinched, thinking he meant more behind that sentence.

Sun-Sing clearly saw the symbolism behind it too, because she shut down. I sighed, watching Motosuki pick up the gun, looking it over.

“So when do we--”

And then? A huge crash as the table they were standing at splintered into a thousand pieces, sending shards everywhere that we all had to cover our eyes from. When I looked back up, I saw that the Monounit I had seen in the office was now in the room, having been the reason there was now wood everywhere.

“What the?!” Motosuki yelled.

Then, all our eyes drifted to the door, where we saw Cerberus. I hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t in the room; he was shaking with anger, his eyes scorned, like we’d done something to force this fury.

Considering his eyes then panned to me, I felt my heart drop.

“C-Cerberus?”

“I went to the office to see if Osen was done with her writing, and I find that.” He pointed at the Monounit. “Was this your game? To create another host, and force the killing game upon us again?!”

“What?!” I stood up. “No! Of course not!”

“Then explain why I found this vile creature in the room you remain boarded up in, day to day!”

“I-I don’t know!” I yelled back, silently begging for someone to jump in and save me. “It was there when I finished writing today! I swear, I have no idea where it came from!”

Yoriko took a knee to look at the Monounit as Masa got in between me and Cerberus. I knew for a fact he wouldn’t try and fight me, but it was still scary seeing a 6’3’’ man tower over me with rage.

Issue was, that rage was being directed at me because of a lie.

“Look, I promise I have no idea what’s going on with that thing!” I put my hands together in prayer, which now I think about it probably just pissed him off further. “Cross my heart!”

Cerberus’ breathing was hard, but it slowly got softer and less rage-filled as he looked to see Yoriko was standing up, dusting off his trousers.

“There’s no way Osen is responsible for this.” He was on my side in seconds. “This thing’s made like a tank. It’s been soldered, sewn, crafted with resilient care.”

I sniffed. “I burnt my toast yesterday.”

“Which begs the question of WHO could’ve made it,” Kenjiro got up. “Someone else must’ve, right? And if it wasn’t us then--”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Motosuki looked at him with an odd expression. “... Must’ve?”

“It’s a word.” Kenjiro said. “It’s Must Have, just shortened.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s a word,” I told him. “It’s a contraction.”

“... Huh.” Motosuki seemed genuinely surprised. “I thought that was just like... Y’all’d’ve. Sounds made up.”

“Y’all’d’ve is a real thing too,” I quipped.

“Fuck off.” He replied, a shocked look on his face. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s... a contraction of ‘you all would have’. It’s uncommon, but it’s real.” I crossed my arms, smiling slightly.

And in that motion, I realised something. I was talking casually with them- still, talking casually with them. Like nothing had changed. Like nothing had gone wrong, like we weren’t trapped underground.

It... Was weirdly comforting. And yet... horrific to think about, all at once.

“Well, what are we supposed to do?” Masa asked, referring to it. “We can’t just leave it out here.”

... Had I been paying attention to Sun-Sing, I think things would’ve not gone as badly as they went next, because next thing I knew she walked over to the Monounit, tears in her eyes, kneeling at the body of the creature with a disgusted look.

“... You.” I saw her as face hardened, her eyes going glassy. “You... demon.”

“What?” Kenjiro looked over. “What do you--?”

“I-It’s him.” She looked up, the waterfalls of her eyes painting her cheeks. “T-The one from... from my first killing game.”

She growled his name.

“Monomodo.”

We all stayed silent. Sun-Sing was deadly serious, like a fork on her tongue, which scared me silent and probably scared everyone else too. There was no fear in her words, just anger- anger that rocked me to my very core, anger that I had never wanted to see one of my friends have.

“... So, no putting the chip in the thing?” Motosuki pointed to her in confirmation.

“No.”

“Good! I can do that.” Motosuki seemed worried. “That’s good. I’m good! You good?”

He pointed to me, Cerberus and Masa. Cerberus nodded back.

“You good?” He pointed to Yoriko and Sun-Sing, who gave him the same response. “We’re good.”

Kenjiro sniffed. “Motosuki, we all understand what this implies. You don’t need to convince us of anything.”

“We’ll lock him in one of the old bedrooms,” Yoriko explained. “Then we’ll keep going.”

“That raises the question...” Masa asked, regaining composure now she was certain I wasn’t about to throw hands with the tallest man in the room. “What exactly IS next?”

“Well, Plan B, obviously.” Yoriko took the gun from Motosuki. “Shoot everything. If we don’t break the ceiling, I guess we’ll at least make enough noise to at least alert someone.”

“Didn’t Kaiyo say we were being monitored...?” I asked. “Surely someone knows where we are!”

“Then they would’ve come for us, wouldn’t they?”

Yoriko looked to the currently turned off light. In fact, it wasn’t the only one- ever since the death of D-002, all the lights in the facility had gone out. Only reason I could write what I was writing was because there were spare candles that a few of us preferred to carry around in case we needed them.

At least, that’s what used to happen... before the light flickered slightly.

Yoriko’s face changed from confusion to pain as the light suddenly turned on, blinding us all due to how long we’d spent in the darkness. We looked up, different versions of the same emotion coursing over us, before I heard a familiar sound behind us.

A shuffling. Scraping of nails on the floor.

With all the strength I could muster, I turned around, and felt my blood run like ice to a halt.

Monomodo got up.

In an instant, I flew back, screaming. Everyone turned towards the creature, and though Yoriko pointed his gun at it, he didn’t pull the trigger- not like it would’ve done anything.

“Hello, Ssstudentsss.”

“Why are you standing?” Yoriko said, bitterly calm. “You don’t have an AI chip. You shouldn’t be active.”

“Don’t I...?” He chuckled, the low robotic tone of a monster with experience rocketing across the room. “Then you clearly didn’t pay attention.”

In a panic, I patted my back pocket as I stood up.

Gone. How was it _gone_? I didn’t... move it...

“Now, I take it you’re familiar with me.” The red eye, now glowing bright crimson, looked around the room, specifically at one person. “It wouldn’t make sssenssse if you weren’t. After all, Sun-Sing...”

“Don’t talk to her.” Masa spat, getting in the way of his sight. “She wants nothing to do with you.”

“Too bad!” He begin laughing hysterically- or I guess, HISS-sterically in his case- as he reared back. “I am your new hossst. Even now, I know how long thisss gamesss been active.”

Motosuki then shoved through the crowd. “I have a question. What on Earth is going on with your voice?”

“I have a lisssp.” The way he said it made me think he’d had to answer that question many, many times. “Asssk me again, I’ll cut you to ribbonsss.”

To amplify that point, held his claw up in a fist to the side of his head and opened it, making it sound like an unsheathing sword, the tips of his claws gleaming sharp.

However, to what seemed like everyone’s surprise, Motosuki didn’t even react. He was stone-faced, staring down Monomodo with significant confidence, one that Sun-Sing didn’t even match.

In fact, if Motosuki was pure confidence, Sun-Sing was direct opposite; she’d moved back to the very corner of the room away from Monomodo, almost like the way I’d met her on my first day conscious- it was humiliating.

Motosuki laughed suddenly. “Dude, you know what I’ve just realised? You look like if a child was told to draw a snake with arms and then they made it into a horror-attraction mascot.”

Monomodo drummed his claw on his other arm. “You can’t be ssseriousss.”

Motosuki beamed. “I mean yeah! You just need to repair that funky looking jaw and we could put you in a shop window of a family restaurant.”

Monomodo just stared him dead in eye. It took a few seconds, but Motosuki’s smile twitched slightly, and then down into a frown before he took an unnoticed step backwards.

“Asss you enjoy insssulting my appearance, I will be more than happy to pick up where the previousss hossst left off.” Monomodo’s smile went familiarly sadistic as he put his claw over his red eye, making the glow go through his fingertips. “You’ve been without a motive for a week it ssseemsss. That’sss more than enough time.”

Kenjiro facepalmed. Yoriko took up the reins. “Wait, what do you--?”

“Seven people left? All isss well with that!” Monomodo’s fingers opened, and suddenly our watches beeped. “Thisss motive ssshould keep you on your toesss!”

I looked at my watch quickly, the sudden fear I felt more than enough to get me to crack. What I read frustrated me almost immediately.

**MOTIVE 5- ART OF THE TRADE**

At the end of every day (10:00pm), all students will be required to go to the Game Room, where they will make a trade with Monomodo. If the trade is not to the Hosts liking, he will kill all participants- otherwise, they will be allowed to survive. All trades will be fair.

“You sssee...” Monomodo explained as I looked at him, confused. “I’m sssomething of an artisssan, of sssortsss.”

“An... Artisan?” I gulped.

“Of sssortsss,” he replied jokingly. “Making dealsss hasss been my favourite hobby, ever sssince my AI was first developing. It’sss how I earnt the right to develop without monitoring... much to the missstake of the person who made me.”

Sun-Sing was still cowering, but she yelled at him. “DEALS?! You’re a damn fraud! You deal with people’s lives, make them suffer because they didn’t understand the stakes!”

“And yet I never tell liesss...” He slithered up to me, making me shrink back in terror. “And people ssstill continue to be ssscared of me. How thrilling.”

Cerberus, of course, had remained completely silent, but he did look at his watch. When Yoriko looked to him for answers, he tapped it, which made Yoriko look at it in turn.

“... It’s one minute until ten...” He sighed. “We better go.”

With that, the group all went to the Game Room. In other cases, we’d have gone there to spin the wheel, earn a mundane prize from D-002. Now, even the Game Room was somewhere Monomodo had corrupted, as we all stood in the middle of it.

Monomodo appeared on the dot, out from behind the wheel. All I could think is what was behind it- why D-002 was able to travel around the area without effort, and how Monomodo was very much in the same boat. I didn’t get time to ask as he spoke again.

“Now... the firssst trade beginsss.” He chuckled. “What isss it you’d be willing to take from me?”

“What?” Kenjiro groaned. “We have to tell YOU what we want to trade?”

“At leassst for the firssst one. I’m a very busssy ssserpent...”

“Give us our freedom!” Masa yelled at him.

Monomodo, if he had them, would’ve cocked an eyebrow. “Freedom...? Why, I’ve had many people asssk for sssuch a thing. Nobody, however, hasss ever wanted to trade for it.”

“Why?” Motosuki put on the ‘fake scared’ voice. “Oh, is it impossible?”

“No. Far from it.” Monomodo curled his tail around himself. “I could open the way out right now if I truly believed you would go for it. But what I asssk for tendsss to turn people away.”

Sun-Sing and Cerberus stood back, leaving Kenjiro, Motosuki, Yoriko, Masa and I to do negotiations.

“Yeah?” Yoriko shook his head. “Tell us, what would it entail us doing?”

“I only trade in equal or greater,” he replied. “For the freedom of ssseven human sssoulsss... You’re looking at the capture of othersss.”

I looked fearfully at everyone, and luckily it seemed everyone else knew what that meant. Monomodo was talking about hosting another killing game- for the freedom we so desperately wanted, he wanted us to...

“So... we have to say the names of people who’d be captured in replacement, huh.” Yoriko was calm. Logical. And yet... terrified, just like me. “... Who would you look for?”

“Who elssse but Ultimate Ssstudentsss, of courssse,” He replied sharply. “You’ve all felt what it’sss like to be captured and put through all of the trialsss and pain that comesss with them. You know what they’ll sssuffer. You’ll know what they’ll be doing to each other...”

Yep, that was too much for me. I immediately looked at the ground, and then away slightly, desperately wanting him to stop talking.

This... This wasn’t a deal with Monomodo. I was essentially dealing with the devil.

“Well?” He then asked. “Isss thisss ssstill the deal you wish to go through?”

Silence. Obviously, nobody wanted to say ‘yes’ because that’d be damning people to the same fate we’d been forced through. We’d watched everyone die- the executions of Yuno, Hirota, Kane- and seen the bodies of everyone else. I had experienced the grief of losing my friends, and yes, I wanted freedom.

But not like that. NEVER like that.

I decided just to take a deep breath in and let him know that. “... We--”

“Okay.”

... My heart skipped a beat. I think my eye twitched too, because I felt my head turn on a swivel to Kenjiro, who hand his arms crossed defiantly.

Monomodo laughed. “Ssseemsss one of you hasss the right idea, doesssn’t it?”

“You just need a class of students, right?” The way he spoke was... cold. Terrifyingly so. Familiarly so. “Do you need all their names, or just the class name?”

“Kenjiro!” Motosuki yelled at him, right in his face. “The fuck are you doing?!”

Monomodo smirked dirtily. “Ah, ah, ah... he’sss made your decisssion. I sssuggessst you wait for him to finisssh.”

“Answer the question I asked.” Kenjiro wasn’t taking anything, from either side. He’d resorted back into Shadow- shown by the fact he’d pulled his mask up and over his face. “Do you need their names, or just the class number?”

Monomodo scraped his finger around inside between his teeth. “Hmmm... I sssuppossse I need namesss. After all, they’re human.”

Kenjiro sniffed. “Fine by me. Human life means nothing anyway.”

That’s when I fell backwards, scrambling slightly. Kenjiro was speaking without emotion, but this time it genuinely felt like he’d changed. There was no sense of the person he’d tried to be through all of this inside of him.

He’d gone back. Back to where he felt most comfortable.

Back to the Shadows.

Monomodo applauded that fact. “Well! To think I had expected lesssss. Now, what wasss their namesss, again?”

Kenjiro then proceeded to rattle off sixteen students. Sixteen full names. Sixteen names I recognised as class 3-C; one of the top scoring Ultimate Classes in the entirety of Hope’s Peak. Sixteen people with a life ahead of them.

I felt tears run down my face as he finished.

“... You killed them.” I could only say what I was thinking. “Y-You killed them. You just killed an entire class.”

“I didn’t pull the trigger.” He responded to me, glancing my direction.

“You’ve put them into a killing game!” I screamed back.

“And I’ve saved us from suffering this one anymore.”

“You... You don’t care at all, do you?”

“I earnt our freedom.”

“You earnt this FIST!”

And then, out of nowhere, Motosuki clobbered Kenjiro across the face, knocking him to the ground. The punch was hard enough that Kenjiro’s mask was knocked loose, sending it down his face and around his neck once more. Masa was immediately at Motosuki’s side, trying to hold him back.

“What the actual FUCK, dude?!” He yelled at him. “What the hell have you done?!”

Kenjiro looked up, his eyes still as empty as anything as his nose bled from where he’d been hit.

“I trusted you!” Motosuki yelled, shaking with genuine anger. “I trusted you were getting better and you did THIS?!”

Kenjiro sat normally, crossing his legs. “Why aren’t you happy? He’s going to give us our freedom now.”

... Laughter.

I looked over, seeing that Monomodo was laughing. I didn’t know how to react- immediately, I knew something was up, but...

He said all trades were fair, right?

He said he’d give us freedom... right?

“Why are you so happy?” Yoriko replied.

“Oh, I’m not!” He replied with a metal sound. “I’m actually furiousss!”

“Why are you... mad?” Masa asked him, still holding Motosuki back.

“Becaussse I went to free you...” Monomodo put up a display from his eyeball. “Look. The consssole’sss not accepting my command.”

He stayed stationary as he typed the same command- ‘FREEDOM’- in the device, over and over again. Each time, it responded with the same phrase.

‘ONLY THOSE AUTHORISED THE MASTERMIND MAY USE THIS COMMAND’.

“... The mastermind.” Both I and Yoriko said the words at the same time, but Yoriko continued where I broke down. “The Mastermind is keeping us here. Until they give Monomodo control over the facility we’re... trapped.”

“But you have earnt freedom already,” Monomodo replied, almost like he was taunting us. “Oh, well! I guess while I wait for the Massstermind, you’ll be ssstuck here. It’sss a true ssshame that--”

“You knew.” Sun-Sing finally spoke up against him. “You knew from the start. You didn’t tell us because you didn’t want us to know the deal was impossible.”

“But then that’s not fair!” I screeched back. “You’ve already broken your own motive’s rules!”

“Incorrect.” Monomodo suddenly uncoiled. “The deal wasss fair. And will continue to be fair. I will gain accesssss to the consssole and give you that freedom you’re clamouring for- you’ve earnt it through the deal. It isss jussst a minor sssetback.”

“... Fine, you know what?” Motosuki suddenly barked. “I have another deal.”

“Another...?” Monomodo was immediately interested.

“Tell us who the Mastermind is.”

“I don’t actually know sssuch information--”

“Then let us do a trial where we can find that out.”

I flinched. “M-Motosuki?”

Monomodo interrupted me. “A trial...? Why, I do like trialsss. The caussse of people battling againssst each other to see who the blackened isss... very entertaining.”

“Then I want a trial to find out who the Mastermind is.” Motosuki extended both arms. “What would I need to trade to make that happen?”

“By all technicality, I never actually ssstated we could trade.” Monomodo slammed his tail on the little elevated platform. “And I doubt you have anything you could trade me that would make me give up the life of the perssson who isss sssupposssed to be my bosssss.”

“Life...” Motosuki repeated the word. “Alright then! How’s this?! You let us do the trial...”

He looked to me, almost as if he was expecting me to stop him, but I stayed silent until after I heard his trade.

“Then I’ll let you kill me.” The bluntness took me aback. “With your bare hands.”

Monomodo tried to slip in with a joke. “I don’t have handsss, I have clawsss--”

“Motosuki!” Masa got in his face. “What are you saying?!”

“I’m saying... that I’ve been doing some thinking.” He scratched his head. “And I know I’m not smart. I’m the Jester of the group- I need to bring the funnies when everyone’s feeling sad. But... I realised something.”

He pushed Masa aside, much to her attempts to stop him, but Yoriko put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“I’m not a good person.” He continued, still facing Monomodo. “And I’m not the kind of man you want around. Someone who does things for his own personal gain; for God’s sake, I almost killed you in the third trial.”

I got to my feet, panicking, as Sun-Sing and Cerberus walked forward to join the group to watch Motosuki.

“So now... I’m going to make it right.” He flexed his shoulders.

“Don’t do this.” My voice came out squeaky and quiet. “It’s not worth it...”

It was too late at that point. Monomodo fell down from the raised podium, hit the ground heavily, before twisting upwards like a cobra.

“And Kenjiro?”

Kenjiro, who had gotten up, looked up with no sense of guilt or sorrow in his eyes.

“I already know you’re faking it.” Motosuki clicked and pointed at him. “You can drop the act.”

Kenjiro didn’t do that. Instead, he took a breath, and just stood there, hands behind his back.

Motosuki didn’t seem to mind, cracking his knuckles and unveiling his hat, the one he’d won way back after the death of Yuno, putting it on and twisting it backwards.

And then, he took a little piece of card and flicked it at Monomodo, who caught it and read what was written on it.

“... Really?” Monomodo said, unimpressed.

“Just... Just give me this.” Motosuki smiled, holding that confident ire he had had all this time.

Monomodo sighed. However, he did as he was told, almost like a final respectful gesture to his opponent.

“... Oh?” He even put on a bit of a deeper accent. “You’re approaching me? Inssstead of running away, you’re coming right at me...?”

Motosuki, almost like he’d been reciting it all his life, responded with an almost perfect impression.

“I can’t beat the shit out of you without coming closer.”

**...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Me? End the life of my favourite character to write's life with a JoJo reference? Nah, you're probably just imagining things.
> 
> ... Guess I can use that one again for--
> 
> What? Me? End the ENTIRE SERIES on Chapter 5 because I had the horrible realisation that I couldn't bring myself to write another entire chapter...?
> 
> But in all seriousness, sorry if this has come as a shock to anyone. I just can't find myself getting the motivation to write Chapter 5 as its own thing- as much as I'm trying to, I swear. However, this does allow me to do something interesting. It allows me to be unique, and I want nothing more in this world to break the norm when it comes to things other people enjoy.
> 
> So again, sorry, if you were expecting more. But in seven parts, this entire series is over.
> 
> That being said... who do YOU think is the mastermind?  
\- Joseph


	42. CHAPTER 5- A DESPAIR AS DEADLY AS SNAKE'S VENOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EXECUTION/INVESTIGATION

Motosuki Ara cracked his knuckles, revealing he was ready to fight. Monomodo sat across from him, looking anything but intimidated, almost interested that he got to fight a student for once.

My brow sweated, looking at the space between them. Yoriko and Kenjiro stood there silently, judging Motosuki, while Sun-Sing was near inconsolable, looking at the scene with panic. Only Cerberus wasn’t looking, just looking at the floor with a cross of anger and despair.

Motosuki stamped hard, motioning for Monomodo to charge.

**MOTOSUKI’S EXECUTION: DANCE WITH THE DEVIL**

There was something so terrifying about how quickly Monomodo could move. He zigzagged along the floor, almost destructively, tearing away plates that covered the tiles. Motosuki didn’t even react- he just stood there, waiting, twirling his neck in a circle to show his casual attitude that would soon become his causality.

And then, just as Monomodo dashed forwards, Motosuki slid to the side, the ground where he’d been standing receiving a new decoration of slash marks into the floor. Motosuki responded by kicking Monomodo in the face, recoiling him slightly, before punching twice and making horrific metal clangs.

Motosuki shook his hand off, revealing his fists were already bleeding.

Then, Monomodo sliced outwards, cutting Motosuki’s arm, and then again to cut deep into his leg. He cried out, which made me wince- it was different watching an execution on a screen, because at least then the audio wasn’t so loud as seeing it happen in person.

Motosuki swung backwards, smashing Monomodo across the jaw, but it didn’t even cause him to react as he swung upwards and into his chest, causing him to gasp. Then he swung lower, and stabbed him in stomach, a fountain of blood spraying over Monomodo as he did.

I remember screaming as Motosuki dropped to his knees, and then face down, a pool of blood suffocating the floor below him. Of course, I wasn’t the only one.

“MOTOSUKI!”

Immediately, Sun-Sing rushed to his side, and we all followed, not including Kenjiro who stood there with a vacant expression. We all desperately tried to care for him, but as Monomodo slithered away it was fairly obvious the job was done.

Or so he thought.

Suddenly, Motosuki stirred, and he began getting to his feet. We all backed away from him like he was a zombie, the blood now covering his clothes not quick to disprove that, but Motosuki cleared his throat to force Monomodo to turn around.

“... Hm?” Monomodo chuckled. “Are you ssseriousss?”

Motosuki spat blood into the already growing puddle.

“I didn’t hear no bell.”

Monomodo laughed comfortably, and then dashed forward, already baring claws to strike. Motosuki, however, must’ve realised something, because he waited for Monomodo to get within a few feet before sticking his fist out like he’d predicted the punch.

The sound of metal snapping echoed the room. Then again, so did the sound of what felt like a gallon of water hitting the floor. I felt nothing but fear as my eye twitched, and as Motosuki’s pose- one fist out, the other to his face- shivered and held itself for as long as possible.

I remember the sound in my nightmares. This disgustingly morass sound as Motosuki’s body slowly split into three pieces. I looked away desperately, clawing at my eyes to keep them shut. The sound of one of my best friends hitting the floor in more than what he should have made me vomit onto the floor, even if I never saw it happen.

When I did open my eyes and look up, avoiding what was left of Motosuki laying there... I noticed that Monomodo was missing a tooth.

**EXECUTION EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY.**

“Motosuki...” Yoriko gritted his teeth. “No...”

“This is too much...” Masa was pacing, holding herself close. “This is too much... this is too m-much...”

“Kenjiro!” Sun-Sing yelled feebly. “Do something... Please!”

Kenjiro just looked at the body. He shook his head. “He’s dead. What do you want me to do?”

As they argued, I looked to Cerberus, who picked up something off the floor. It appeared to be a sharp, metallic triangle, one that almost definitely came from Monomodo. I knew so, because I looked to Monomodo next to see him tapping the new hole where the tooth has once been.

“Tut.” He said the word aloud. “Perhapsss I ssspoke too sssoon for hisss resssilience.”

Sun-Sing looked at him with a terrified face. “... S-So... we get to investigate the mastermind now, right?”

“That wasss the deal.” Monomodo’s eye glared menacingly red. “I mussst sssay... the fact the massstermind hasss kept it up for ssso long isss truly impresssssive.”

“What’s that supposed to mean...?”

“You have asss long asss you want...” Monomodo made the motion of him clicking a stopwatch. “Begin.”

And with that he was gone, leaving us all to our own devices. Sun-Sing looked at the body of Motosuki one more time while the rest of us stood in silence.

And with that... I looked to Yoriko.

“... W-We’ve got this... right?”

I couldn’t see an ounce of anything on his face. Anger? Regret? It wasn’t present. Not even Despair. He was sick of suffering, just like the rest of us were. Today marked that change, for all of us.

“... Stupid.”

I looked to Kenjiro, who was just standing there without any sign of anything as usual. He was staring at Motosuki’s body, almost studying the way he’d be cut into ribbons.

“Stupid... Stupid.” He repeated the word a bit more. “You knew it wouldn’t work. You knew you’d end up like this. Why did you do it?”

“Why do you care?” Masa barked at him. “You clearly don’t. You’re a murderer as is...”

And then... I saw what I’m sure nobody else did.

A single tear, running down Kenjiro’s face. He looked up, trying to hide the fact he’d produced it. What he could hide, however, was the sound of his voice, which he used to speak aloud.

“W-What’s the phrase you’d use...?” He gulped hard, a second tear joining the first. “It’s... a terrible day for rain.”

I sighed.

Begin investigation.

To start, I tried to remember what I’d seen. Our watches had gone dark- for some reason, we couldn’t turn them back on, meaning we were doing this on pure memory. It would’ve been good for someone like Hisonora... not so much for us.

“Yoriko.” I turned to him. “I need you to start writing everything down, okay?”

Yoriko cocked an eyebrow before he saw me tapping my watch. “... Got it. Where should we start?”

Yoriko removed the notepad from inside his coat. However, I watched as he remembered that he had only one hand, and I felt sorry for him as he tucked his notepad into the fold of his arm and messily scribbled a few words into it.

“... Do you want me to...?”

“No. I’ve got it.”

I sighed. I couldn’t argue with him- we didn’t have time.

“Monomodo sounds like a good starting point.” I looked to the already shaking Sun-Sing. “After all, seems like he’s got a history with Sun-Sing...”

“Well, he was running the one that Sun-Sing had performed in beforehand, hadn’t he?” Yoriko was already writing in his notepad. “We’re going to need to ask her about it if we want more information.”

“Is she...” I kept a close eye on her. “Is she stable, enough, for that?”

“No.” Yoriko was walking her direction. “Sun-Sing, we need information on Monomodo.”

Sun-Sing sucked air through her teeth aggressively. “... K-Knew you’d ask that.”

“It’s for the good of the group,” Yoriko reminded her. “We can’t just let this go. Anything you can tell us about Monomodo, say it now.”

Sun-Sing nodded. “I’ve... talked with you, in length about our past. About how he used to run the first killing game I was a part of. I guess... A good start is to mention that Monomodo never once brought up D-002 back then.”

“So D-002 isn’t a deciding factor in this, even now.” Yoriko wrote that down. “What about his relationship with the mastermind in the first game?”

“Well, it was... Masterminds, actually. There were five of them.” She shook her head. “All of them had something against one of us. There was Seiko, Xue, Manarsh, Len and Q- Seiko was Kaiyo’s ex, Xue was Shui’s sister, Manarsh hated Ini’s father, Len despised Mutsuko for killing her brother, and Q blamed Hibachi for getting him kicked out of Hope’s Peak.”

“Well, that’s something they all share in common then.” Yoriko tapped the top of his notepad with his pen. “Monomodo works under the mastermind because the Mastermind has connections to a different student.”

I remembered something then. “Oh, the list! Back when the computer was still in that room... it had a list of all of our connections to the original game’s cast.”

“... It makes sense,” Sun-Sing replied. “Monomodo stopped caring about us when the last Mastermind appeared. She didn’t have anything against a single one of us... just all of us in general.”

“So it has to be one of us, right?” I looked around the room, at the six remaining students. Three boys, three girls. “Because... if Monomodo was working for a dead person, he wouldn’t care.”

“That might be a good question to ask _him_.” Yoriko replied, looking to the way Monomodo slithered out.

“L-Later.” I bit my lip. “Let’s try and get other information first.”

Leaving Sun-Sing alone, we walked over to Cerberus, who was scanning the tooth with amazing concentration. I had to clear my throat to even alert him we were there. “Cerberus.”

“Ah, yes?” He looked over. “The tooth... it came free from the jaws of that monster. I was reading it.”

“You were... huh?” I watched as he handed me the tooth. “What’s on it?”

“I don’t know,” He replied, still curious. “It appears to be a different language.”

Yoriko looked over my shoulder. “... I recognise that. It’s Latin.”

“Great. One of the languages I didn’t take.” I groaned, twirling it around in my fingers. “Means he can be injured, if nothing else.”

“Does that matter?” Cerberus asked. “I do have a few other discoveries that could assist. “I... may have found something that made me undoubtedly angry. The reason why I suspected Osen so much, as a matter of fact.”

I sighed. “Can we see it?”

“Certainly. Follow me.”

Cerberus took us up the stairs of the grand hallway into the art room. I remembered this place- it was where we discovered that our portraits were being drawn for the first time. Guess it was only fair for this place to remain so suspicious.

It was there we found what appeared to be a macabre art project- that, and a scroll of paper that almost made me think of a treasure map. Cerberus referred to both.

“What is this?” I looked it over, running my fingers along the jagged metal, the smell of gunpowder hitting my nostrils. “It’s... what happened to it?”

“I don’t know.” Cerberus looked over. “I found this way.”

Yoriko was close behind, still desperately to find a way to hold his notepad with one hand. “Looks like an explosive went off.”

“That’s what I assumed.” Cerberus picked it up. I’d never noticed it, but Cerberus’ hands were so much bigger than I thought they were. It took me until watching him turn the device over and his hand swamped half of it that I realised.

It took until now... but I was finally beginning to see how scary Cerberus was.

Yoriko then got a sparkle in his eye. “Hang on a second... I recognise that.”

“You do?!” I asked him, shocked.

“Yes... It’s a bomb collar.” He responded, writing it down awkwardly. “Bomb Collars... used usually by police officers on inmates who have one too many chances. They’re prison equipment.”

“It take it you know what they do?” Cerberus added.

“I do.” He looked it over. “When a prison was misbehaving, it would send a small impact shock into the neck. It would immobilise most people instantly.”

“But... It’s ruined.” I countered. “Like it’s had a bomb dropped on it.”

“That’s... why I am now a little afraid.” He put the device down. “Of course, they would never willingly kill a prisoner. Collars would never kill unless completely set off.”

I swallowed, understanding immediately. “The collar was... The collar was rigged with explosives, huh?”

“If I had to guess...” Cerberus took the theory as his own. “I would assume that the bomb collar was rigged to go off on the Mastermind’s command. Perhaps used as a motive.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Yoriko sniffed. “There’s... a high chance that... The mastermind was wearing this himself.”

I watched as Yoriko wrote this down. In my mind... an even darker theory was building. The theory that maybe...

The mastermind never wanted this in the first place.

Next was the scroll. I opened it up and was immediately taken aback.

“It’s... a map of the facility.” I scratched my head. “We... already had these. We already these on our watches.”

“Yes, well, the watches never showed THAT room.” Yoriko pointed with his pen. I looked to where it was, seeing that there was a room that was connected to the second floor- specifically, from one of the bedrooms. “Not to mention these corridors running around the place...”

“Are they from the underground?”

“More than likely,” He replied. “Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?”

Yoriko, Cerberus and I headed out of the art room and into the hallway. While I headed with Yoriko to the new bedrooms, Cerberus turned and walked the other way, heading back down the stairs to search the underground.

“What do you think we’re going to find?” I looked at him as we walked over to the bedroom it was marked with.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure... it won’t...” Yoriko looked at the map, which I was holding. “This can’t be right.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This bedroom.” He looked at it. “It’s Cho’s.”

I looked, and sure enough the hidden passageway was right under Cho’s new bedroom. Suddenly, why this bedroom was here made sense- I had never thought to check it, because I was afraid of what I’d find. But Cho’s bedroom held a terrible truth.

I walked in, seeing the familiar layout, only with a line of dust. Masa... I hadn’t expected her to be around this place, but... it was still hard to see the bedroom of a person who I was friends with so neglected.

Yoriko immediately got to work, and moved the bed aside. “I knew it. There’s a trapdoor here.”

“Then down we go.” I opened for him. “No more secrets.”

I trotted down the ladder, taking the shockingly short passage to a door that opened without need for a lock. Yoriko and I entered that room, and to be fair...

I never expected what I saw.

Glass working tools, a kiln, and a cooler were in the room, as well as a conveyer belt trundling along as it carried plastic and metal to a crusher. Shelves adorned with old work covered the entirety of the south wall, reminding me of some kind of glassworker’s shop.

Or... perhaps... just a bottler, in general.

“What... is this place?” Yoriko looked around, toying with one of the many bottles left on display. “The lights are on... means someone’s been here, at least recently.”

“Recently... You mean, like this morning?” I asked him as he went around the place. “Because we were all together when Monomodo put the motive in place, right?”

“I’m still unsure if we’re even dealing with someone from the group,” Yoriko replied bitterly. “It could be someone else. Someone random.”

I looked at the screen on the wall, still online. Tapping it, I found it was open to an unfamiliar screen- a screen of all the sixteen students that had died inside the walls. The ones who had died had an X over their thumbnail, while the ones who were alive were untouched. And sure enough, there were only six lives left.

Yoriko, Cerberus, Kenjiro, Masa, Sun-Sing and me.

“... If they’re still alive...” I sighed. “It’d be hard to track a dead person out of all of this, huh? Especially when we’ve seen them die.”

Yoriko sighed. “Over here.”

I walked over, seeing what he’d found. Stacks of papers, some of them tied in red thread, were all over the desk, including a newspaper article, a letter that had been opened, and several other things. Including something I recognised.

However... my eyes turned to the Newspaper first.

“SIXTEEN STUDENTS MISSING- KILLING GAME SUSPECTED”

My breath caught in my throat as I desperately looked at it. Unfortunately it seemed that the newspaper was dated for two years ago, not our current date, which just raised more questions.

“The entire class of 14-B was found to be missing this morning, including their teacher.” I read it aloud for Yoriko. “Eye witnesses state that men in black suits went into the school early yesterday morning and were seen exiting in a quote ‘suspicious manner.’”

Of course, that’s when I had to stop, because I saw what was next. All the names of the students who were in Class 14-B were blacked out with a permanent marker, except for one.

Kaiyo Sycamore.

“Her again...” Yoriko rolled his eyes, putting his notepad down so he could write correctly for once. “What is with the Mastermind’s obsession with her?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it...” I looked over at the diary, but stopped and shook my head. “What about the letter?”

Yoriko checked it, humming suddenly. “Huh... this letter is... an acceptation letter to Hope’s Peak. Personal information’s been blacked out, though...”

I looked over his shoulder, seeing that was right; the name, age, talent, location and date had been scribbled out in black marker. The Mastermind had gone through a lot of effort to hide their identity.

So that just made me scratch my head when I saw that there was also a hundred bundles of letters, tied in the red thread mentioned earlier. I took one out of the tie, unfolding it to look at it.

And sure enough, it was a Denial form, one that I had seen once before. See, I’d been denied once by Hope’s Peak- I had tried to go for a different talent, but clearly they had realised I was better off with the one I had.

I still felt like my talent didn’t matter anymore. That hadn’t changed from the first day I woke up there.

“Denial... Denial... Denial...” Yoriko was going through them with me. “What the hell? There must be at least a thousand letters here.”

“The Mastermind... they probably all belong to him, right?” I bit my tongue, but released it. “That... might mean... someone here is lying about their talent.”

“And this isn’t like Hisonora,” Yoriko added. “This person has tried to get into Hope’s Peak for far longer; this paper’s beginning to yellow.”

I sighed. “So what does that... mean?”

I watched Yoriko flinch harder than I’d ever seen him flinch before.

“... Y-Yoriko?”

“Sorry, sorry.” He grumbled. “I... still get shivers when I hear it put like that.”

“Put like... what?”

“Never mind, it’s not important.” He began scribbling. “Just know an old boyfriend of mine used to say it like that when he was mad at me...”

I nodded. There was one more thing in the room- the thing I didn’t want to look at. All at once, it came back to me... the names, constantly scribbled across four different pages. Obsession, manically scrawled across the paper...

I’d opened the diary. My recoil was not exaggerated when I realised the horrific smell that came from out of the pages, one I’d smelt so many times before.

Blood.

And yes, blood that wrote of ‘KAIYO’ in bold, gothic letters.

Yoriko didn’t react like I did, but still reacted negatively. “Oh, what the hell is this...?” He immediately began fanning through the pages, seeing all the writing I’d already seen with Cerberus.

What was he feeling as he read through it? Anger? Sadness? Did he feel sorry for whoever it belonged to? Whatever he felt, he was doing a good job at hiding it.

“This is...” When he spoke, it was clear the answer was ‘all three’. “Disgusting.”

“It’s all about her, huh?” I asked him gently.

“More than that- this person’s a fucking stalker.” He growled. “The asshole’s got information on her that nobody deserves to know.”

“Like what?”

“Well, a good example is apparently she’s a C-Cup, if that’s any indication.”

Aaaand I was off like a rocket, blushing harder than I usually did. Sure enough, this guy knew too much.

Suddenly, however, Yoriko turned to the last page and saw something that I didn’t. “Huh.”

“What’s up?”

“Right at the end- this message is blood-soaked, but it’s readable. It just says ‘don’t believe my lies’.”

I nodded, gulping hard. Suddenly, my theory was beginning to add up.

“Well, that’s everything in this room, I think. Let’s go back to the others.”

We headed out of there, going to the grand hallway. What we found was Sun-Sing, Masa and Cerberus, already talking about what they’d found.

From the first sentence, it appeared that was nothing.

“-and we’ve got NOTHING!” Sun-Sing yelled, upset. “There’s nothing here that Yoriko and Osen haven’t been tasked with finding?”

“The underground tunnels were a bust,” Cerberus replied. “But perhaps they’ll find something on the other side.”

“We did.” Yoriko announced our presence. “It was a massacre in there. I’ve written it all down for us to use in the trial.”

“... Does that mean we’re done?” I asked.

“Not yet, unfortunately...” Masa tutted. “Kenjiro’s locked himself in the dorms. We can’t get him out.”

“Why?” I asked. “He...”

“Yeah, turns out Motosuki might’ve affected him more than we thought.” Masa rubbed the back of her head. “We don’t have much to go off, I’m afraid. I just know it’s probably something to do with him.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Yoriko replied. “We’re about to go head first into a trial. We can’t exactly just... decide...”

And then we all looked the same direction, seeing that Kenjiro was standing there, mask over his mouth.

“... Well there we go.” Yoriko motioned. “The trial’s about to begin. If anyone has anything they want to say, say it now.”

Silence returned his statement.

“... Okay.” Yoriko muttered, looking at his notepad. “Seems the Mastermind’s playing to win.”

With that, we walked as a group for the final time to the trial room. Our booths were set out how I remembered them- save none of the portraits, which now Monomodo was currently hanging above the podium.

Including Motosuki’s, which looked like a broken disc shape was on his.

“Now... Usssually, I’m not allowed to do this.” Monomodo chuckled. “However, I’ve managed to get passst the programming. I’ve counted Motosuki as a victim. The Blackened is the Massstermind.”

“Even though it was clearly you,” Yoriko muttered. “Well, if that’s the way we want to do it.”

We all took our spaces across from each other. When I realised how empty it was, I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Ten empty booths spaced us apart. Six students remained.

One of them was the mastermind.

One of them wanted us to fail... to continue living without taking us with them.

One of the others...

Had been lying since the start.

**TRIAL START – ALL RISE!**


	43. CHAPTER 5- A DESPAIR AS DEADLY AS SNAKE'S VENOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trial- Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIDENCE:  
MONOMODO: A snake-like robot, brought to life by the AI chip in Yoriko’s possession. Though it claims to have no connection to D-002, it is aware of who the mastermind of the killing game is and even directly compliments them for ‘keeping up the facade so long’. Monomodo appears to be working under the Mastermind as they have something to do with the original killing game he was from, and are targeting one of those people.
> 
> MONOMODO’S TOOTH: A tooth from Monomodo, knocked out by Motosuki before his death. The back of the tooth is inscribed in Latin, something that none of the students speak.
> 
> BOMB COLLAR: A bomb collar, designed to be concealable by standard clothing. It would’ve been placed around the chest of an individual, but due to tampering has managed to be removed. It has already gone off.
> 
> MAP OF FACILITY: A map of the facility that housed the killing game. It appears to have different hidden corridors running through it, most noticeably one from the Dorm area to the kill room at the top floor, and hidden hatch under the bed in Cho’s New Room.
> 
> MASTERMIND’S QUARTERS: A second secret room that was too well-hidden to be found beforehand. It was under the bed of Cho’s New Room, which until that point hadn’t been movable.
> 
> NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: A newspaper article of the disappearance of 14-B, found in the Mastermind’s Quarters. Many parts of the newspaper, such as names, have been scribbled out in black marker, but the name ‘Kaiyo’ continues to be mentioned.
> 
> LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE: A letter, separate from the main pile, claiming to have accepted someone into Hope’s Peak. The name, age, talent, location and date have been scribbled out in black marker. Found in the Mastermind’s Chambers.
> 
> BUNDLE OF LETTERS: A large bundle of worn-out letters, tied in yellowing string. Every single letter appears to be a letter of denial that Hope’s Peak sends out to people who don’t make the cut, but all the names and talents have been removed with black marker.
> 
> DIARY OF NAMES: The name ‘Kaiyo Sycamore’ is written into the journal at least a hundred times a page. However, a single blood-soaked message is written at the end; ‘DON’T BELIEVE MY LIES’.
> 
> THE MASTERMIND: Through provided evidence, the Mastermind has to meet the following criteria; They must have involvement to any of the original cast, has to be alive, was wearing a bomb collar before Monomodo came into commission, and has an obsession with Kaiyo Sycamore.

**TRIAL (Part 1)**

“I ssshall ssstart thisss ssspecial trial by mentioning how it will work.”

Monomodo, the serpent host, sat above us, looking down. I looked to each of the people in the room, my eye scanning them with various amount of suspicion. Kenjiro stood completely firm, waiting for Monomodo to finish, while Masa was a nervous wreck who was barely holding it together.

Cerberus kept a gentle amount of reverie in his eyes, searching for things to call others out on. Sun-Sing just seemed done; clearly, the weight of two killing games was threatening to break her shoulders from how long she’d been carrying it.

And then there was Yoriko, who looked over his notes with a macabre sense of duty. I’d told him that he needed to be the one to help us escape- the one who’d lead us in the darkness.

But not anymore. Now it was up to everyone.

“Asss you know, the Massstermind is sssomeone amongssst you.” Monomodo kept hissing out what we needed to know. “The trial isss to find out which of you it could be. Meanwhile, the Massstermind will be attempting to deceive othersss. When you are certain- and only, when you are certain- who it isss, ussse the regissstered voting padsss I have provided to you all at your podiumsss.”

I looked at the tablet on it. White and Black with a red emblem in the middle. The screen on the other side was off, but could be turned on if I tapped it, upon which it showed little cartoonish faces of the remaining six student’s faces.

“If all but the Massstermind vote correctly... And ONLY if all five of you do ssso...” Monomodo wasn’t done, it seemed. “Then we will consssider it a Ssspotlessss victory, and the Massstermind will be executed. Of courssse, if the Massstermind isss able to point fingersss at sssomeone elssse well enough, or if sssomeone votesss out of place, then we will declare a Massstermind victory Inssstead.”

Monomodo clasped his hand and claw together. It made a strange sound, like a pillow hitting a hard surface.

“You may begin whenever you sssee fit.”

I looked up, a little confused by his abrupt start. “... How much time do we have?”

“Asss long asss it takesss for everyone to confirm their vote.”

“W-We don’t have a time limit?” I then asked him.

“No?” Monomodo drummed the arm of the throne, already getting bored. “Why, did you have time limitsss before? What idiot put that in play?”

Yoriko sighed, interrupting our conversation. “Listen. I know this is going to be difficult, but we all need to be brutally honest with each other. If one of you really is the Mastermind, know this- I don’t know yet for what reason you’ve been doing this, but today, we’re either going to defeat you and earn the freedom we’ve wanted... Or you’re going to get exactly what you desire- freedom, and to watch us all die.”

Kenjiro huffed. “How do we know that’s what they want, though?”

“We don’t,” Sun-Sing answered for him. “F-For all we know, the Mastermind isn’t even alive. They could be one of the dead students.”

“It’d be easy to say that, but...” Masa poked her tablet to make sure. “Why wouldn’t they be options on the tablet if the Mastermind wasn’t alive?”

“Not only that, but why wouldn’t we be given freedom early?” I asked the crowd. “If our only reason for being captured was the Mastermind’s influence, wouldn’t him being dead just stop the game in its tracks?”

“Why do you keep calling them a boy?” Kenjiro asked me. “For all we know, it could be you.”

Of course, the entire time, Cerberus remained silent. Yoriko noticed and immediately gave him the warning I think he’d been wanting to for a long, long time.

“Cerberus,” he barked. “I understand your religion is important to you, but you can’t stay silent anymore. If you have a point, make it.”

Cerberus paused. “It... is harder than it seems. Even breaking my silence against D-002 was seen as sacrilege.”

“Oh, I can assure you, if your God was here, you wouldn’t be.” Yoriko sighed. “If ANY God was here, we wouldn’t be. Take this place as a safe-space for you to talk freely without whoever it is looking over you taking note for once.”

Cerberus seemed to understand that point, and suddenly his eyes widened. “My... you’re right. I will... Okay, I will attempt to help you. As much as I can.”

Yoriko nodded. “Let’s run down the list here, okay? If any evidence seems fishy, or if you want to expand on it, go ahead and say so.”

And with that... the first debate of the final trial began.

Yoriko did exactly what he said he was going to. “To start, we have the case of Monomodo, and by extension his tooth. Cerberus, Osen and I found a bomb collar in the art room, as well as a map of the facility, which showed us the location of the Mastermind’s Quarters. Inside the Mastermind’s Quarters we found a newspaper article about the disappearance of Class 14-B.”

Sun-Sing grimaced. Yoriko continued.

“Also in the room was a Letter of Acceptance, over a thousand Letters of Denial, and a Diary that was obsessed with Kaiyo Sycamore.” He drummed his fingers. “Any of that sound suspicious to you guys?”

“Okay then...” Kenjiro’s finger moved on a swivel. “Cerberus. **What’s your connection to Kaiyo?”**

I felt my hand glide out to stop him. “Hold on!”

Cerberus, funnily enough, was the one to speak first. “It is quite alright. I can state that Kaiyo was a familiar friend, but not one I could call close.”

Kenjiro crossed his arms. “Yoriko says you’re connected to her by this ‘friendship’.”

“And it is a correct motif to blame me on. But I can assure you, my friendship with her was rocky.” He sounded almost reminiscent about it. “We would meet at most, three times a month. With us being in different classes, different time tables, different years... we weren’t going to be meeting every day.”

“And the diary is absolutely all over the place about her.” Yoriko revealed he’d brought it with her. “According to this thing, Kaiyo’s been meeting with the mastermind every day since they met each other in Hope’s Peak.”

Cerberus shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I would’ve liked to spend more time with her... but I don’t know what happened to her after her disappearance. That moment in the top floor was my first interaction with her in over two years.”

Yoriko wrote that down, the podium perfect leverage for his notepad. “In that case, we’ll have to see what everyone’s relation to Kaiyo is. For me, personally, I met her through an ex-boyfriend of mine.”

I swallowed. “I met Kaiyo through Yanayashi...” The fact I remembered that shocked me, but made me feel at least a little warm, too.

Kenjiro grumbled. “A man named Shui used to be a patient at my hospital. He was a sickly child, constantly getting check-ups. One day he just... makes a full recovery. Goes to Hope’s Peak, gets his ultimate talent, goes psycho for a bit, then comes back. I was the first person he sought out.”

“And?” Yoriko raised an eyebrow.

“And yes, he did introduce me to Kaiyo at one point.” Kenjiro finished, playing with his mask. His tone was lightening now; he was making sure we all knew he was trying his best. “I guess it was supposed to be like... a blind date? We had a coffee, didn’t really spark, but stayed friends for up until she vanished.”

Since Cerberus had already explained his side of the story, next went Masa.

“Well, I met Kaiyo through Ini,” Masa exclaimed. “She was this cheerful girl who I used to work with at the orphanage. Occasionally Kaiyo would come around to say hello, and we met then. Of course, I never saw her again after that point...”

I blinked. I felt like our memories were a little mixed up, but nothing so far seemed out of place.

Of course, when all eyes turned on Sun-Sing, we seemed to have the unionised revelation that Sun-Sing was now under fire. After all, if her stories were true- which I had no reason to doubt they were- then she and Kaiyo had been closer than any of us. They’d spent two years together in 14-B, and then a fortnight in a killing game. They’d lived together for a month, and had kept in touch since that point, losing contact until her last interaction with her in the top floor’s room.

You couldn’t exactly fake a friendship like that. The issue was if that friendship was one-sided.

The next debate was sparked by Sun-Sing almost yelling. “I-It’s not me. Please, I know I look suspicious, but I loved Kaiyo as a friend, nothing more.”

Yoriko sniffed. “I don’t understand. Why are you so hectic to make us know that?”

Sun-Sing began shaking. “L-Look, I k-know it’s difficult to u-understand, but I promise I have nothing to do with this.”

“You can make promises all you want,” Kenjiro mentioned. “It’s whether or not those promises hold water.”

“Unfortunately, only confirmed person it can’t be is Kenjiro, right?” Masa asked gently. “The Mastermind can’t be a Shadow. That’s what Yoriko said.”

Yoriko nodded. “Right. The Mastermind can’t be a Shadow, because a Shadow’s job is to ruin killing games for the Mastermind. Kenjiro is the only surviving Shadow member, I hope, so **I doubt anything could force him** to run a killing game.”

I gagged when I thought about it. “W-Wait!”

Yoriko looked over. “Hm?”

“Well, there is a possibility...” I looked to Cerberus. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to have the collar we found, would you?”

Cerberus revealed that he did. “We found this in the art room.”

Masa immediately covered her nose. “Ugh... what is that thing?”

“It’s a Bomb Collar.” Cerberus repeated what Yoriko had said before. “It has gone off.”

“Was... Was someone wearing that?” Masa’s voice was muffled as she put a hand over her mouth, too. “Why would someone be wearing a bomb collar?”

Yoriko hummed to himself. “So, Osen... why bring this up?”

“Well... what if the Mastermind was wearing it?” I asked. “I mean, if I was forced to wear an explosive collar that’d go off if I didn’t obey I’d... probably go along with whatever they told me.

Yoriko paused. “... Yeah, I guess you’re right. So you think that collar was attached to the Mastermind?”

“Well, in that case, the Collar could’ve been on any of us,” Kenjiro immediately countered. “Even from here I can see it’s bigger than a person’s neck- it’d probably be around the waist of someone.”

“Amazingly enough, that means three people are instantly out of the question for who could’ve worn it.” Masa counted them off. “Yuno, Akako and Cho.”

“I’m sure they’d love to have heard that,” Cerberus replied. “But once again we’re not looking for the Mastermind amongst the dead. It’s one of us- Monomodo made that abundantly clear.”

Yoriko suddenly made a weird sound. I looked to him, seeing that his breath had hitched on his lungs again and he coughed up on storm.

Looks like I was taking over for a second. Throughout my entire time here, everyone had been helping each other cope- that meant somewhere in the pile of memories I had, I could recall something that’d prove someone’s innocence, or at least work as evidence in the trial, right?

My brain whirred as I tried to remember things that could assist in the trial...

**RECALL MEMORIES**

THE ULTIMATE MOTIVE – D-002 promised to anyone who managed to escape as a Blackened their greatest desire. It is unknown how he would’ve gotten away with this, but he promised anything

THE PHONE – Motosuki found a phone that showed a picture of Kaiyo and Sun-Sing together. In the background, a shadowy figure stood, and the words ‘I NEVER FORGET YOU’ were hidden in a different picture on the phone.

CHO’S DEATH – Masa, Kenjiro and Osen witnessed the death of Cho Machi, the Lil’ Ultimate Hairdresser. The Virus that killed her drove Masa to become a different person, affected so much by a death of a child happening in front of her.

D-002’S DEPOWERED STATE – While in a depowered state, Yoriko was able to find out how D-002 ticked. He had an explosive in his head that would go off if dismantled, and D-002’s connection to the facility made all the lights turn off when he was destroyed for good.

DANAFULU – A reoccurring character in Cerberus’ religion. Cerberus has never gone into detail about what Danafulu looks like, only that one day he will ‘return and devour the Earth of its sinners’.

I didn’t get a chance to remember anything else before a new debate started.

“So now what?” Sun-Sing asked. “Do we just continue to talk to each other until we run out of things to say? It’s clear whoever the Mastermind is doesn’t care.”

“That’s the thing- we’re looking for evidence.” Yoriko tapped his foot. How this Mastermind was able to hide themselves, and how they’re able to convince us they’re one of us.”

“There’s got to be something that the Mastermind is fighting for, right?” Masa replied. “Like some sort of overarching thing.”

“**Like a motive**?”

I jumped on Cerberus’ point. “I agree with that. Do you guys remember the Ultimate Motive?”

Yoriko’s eyes widened. “Of course! That’s the very first motive that was introduced...”

“Back when we were all still alive,” Kenjiro felt the need to say.

“Should we go through what our greatest desires were?” Masa made a good point. “That’s what the motive was- if a Blackened escaped, they’d be granted their Greatest Desire.”

“You first,” Kenjiro crossed his arms.

“Okay...” Masa took a deep breath inwards. “My greatest desire was ten billion yen. Straight cash in a bank account. I wanted to use it to pay for children’s tuitions into Hope’s Peak, and maybe open an orphanage of my own. Pay bills, taxes... M-Maybe a new car...”

I gulped. Suddenly, I remembered that some people’s desires, no matter how selfless, could always sound selfish.

Yoriko nodded. “Kenjiro, what about you?”

“Oh, well, obviously, I’d...” He looked away. “Wish for peace along the universe. Yeah?”

“... You don’t sound so convinced--”

“Immortality.” He changed to his normal tone. “Just straight, never die. I want to live forever, getting more and more powerful, curing more and more patients, witnessed as a God.”

Yoriko blinked. “Well, I won’t say that’s not impressive, but...”

“What about you then?” I could feel Kenjiro’s soul smirking. “What did you want?”

“... Peace... along the universe...” Yoriko wiped his face. “O-Of course.”

I sighed. “Yoriko, I know for a fact you’re lying.”

“I tried to make it sound like I was.” Yoriko adjusted his glove. “I wanted my own detective agency. One of competent people, not like the place I’m working now.”

That left me, Sun-Sing and Cerberus. I looked to both of them, then bit the bullet and went myself.

“I wanted to know how to cure arrhythmia.” I sniffed. “I... Yes, I suffer from it, but... I just want to know how to cure it because it feels like the right thing to do, right?”

I didn’t need to choose who to ask next, because the next desire came from the female’s voice.

A very choked, very close to being a full-on sob version of a statement.

“I just wanted my baby back.”

I closed my eyes, hearing Sun-Sing’s desire. I should’ve known, really- Sun-Sing wanted to be a mother, and she lost the only thing that’d make her one. Sure, she could adopt, but would it ever feel the same? After all, losing a child is one of the worst despairs anyone could ever feel.

That left one person, who stood there waiting to be asked for his greatest desire. When the question never came, he sighed, realising we were waiting for him to be ready to speak it himself.

“I... suppose...” He tutted. “My greatest desire suddenly seems insignificant.”

“Still say it,” Yoriko replied.

“Well...” He looked up, those bright orange eyes suddenly seeming less bright. “My desire has already been fulfilled. My greatest desire was to meet Danafulu, face to face.”

... Silence hit the room. It was eerie- the sound of silence echoed the room as we all registered what he had said.

And on Yoriko’s mark, a new discussion began.

“You’ve... met, Danafulu?” Yoriko asked gently.

“Yes...” Cerberus extended both hands outwards. “And I must apologise to him, for I have broken his law, but to be graced with his presence has reminded me of what I fight for.”

“I don’t get it.” Masa looked around. “Where is he?”

“It is sad you do not see him.” Cerberus placed his hands to his chest. “He sits amongst us now, watching, waiting. Making us feel his presence without speaking a word.”

I felt the slight twinge of realisation, followed by the despair of a thousand suns.

“Danafulu has returned!” He rose in tone. “He has come to devour the sinners of the Earth, the claw of blistering black holding onto it as his form consumes the Earth! Danafulu, **serpent of white and black, **you have come home!”

“CERBERUS, NO!” I yelled. “You... You’re talking about...!”

Masa gulped. “M-Monomodo...”

Kenjiro must’ve had the same sense I did, because he pointed. “Who the hell are you?!”

“I have told you... my name died when I gave myself to Danafulu’s will. I am Cerberus, nothing more!” He closed his hands. “And I...”

“Alright. That’s enough.”

... Why did my heart skip a beat when I heard that voice? I swear, everything in my power told me ‘don’t turn around’, even though I ended up looking over my shoulder anyway.

And who I saw made my skin crawl. Because who I was looking at was familiar, but not in the way like Kaiyo was.

No, no... I knew this man. And from behind me, a gasp from Sun-Sing and Kenjiro made me realise who it was.

“Shui?!” Sun-Sing yelled.

A man stood there, dressed in a blue suit with a yellow guard on the shoulder, a matador-style cape over his entire left half down to his trousers. His hair was blonde and eyes, dark red, but the intense smirk was enough to tell me everything I needed to know about his want to get involved. In his hand he held a silver compass, which he closed dramatically, looking straight forward.

“Glad I got here on time.” He walked forward, taking the booth directly next to me. “What’s the consensus?”

“W-Wait!” Masa exclaimed. “Who are you?”

“Ah, yes, sorry.” Shui cleared his throat. “My name is Shui Ninigata. I’m the NEO Teacher of Cartography- T.NEO Cartographer, for short. I’m also a part of Future Foundation, the group who has eradicated every Killing Game over the course of the last 3 years.”

He eyed Sun-Sing.

“All but this one.”

Sun-Sing was already in tears. She looked at him with an expression of pure joy, even if her eyes didn’t match the way she spoke. “Y-You really came...”

“Of course.” He spoke quickly, like he’d heard this time and time again before. “Trust me; we’ve been searching for you. It’s been difficult, but an explosion that rocked the gulf of Australia revealed for a quarter of a second that a Monounit was in play over here, so I brought a team to search.”

“... Did you say Australia?” I asked him, but he kept going.

“What we found, hacking in, was a killing game still ongoing.” He revealed a very hi-tech looking tablet, one he created a hologram from. “Fifteen students under control of a Mastermind who was disguising himself as one of them. It’s like a ripple in time.”

I watched as he went through every dead student first, eventually going through the alive students.

What he said next made my blood run cold, however.

“Osen Goya, Yoriko Ito, Masa Taji, Kenjiro Yoshimitsu.” He knew the order our faces would appear. “You’re not supposed to be here. Kidnapped from Hope’s Peak, brought across the world into a killing game you will now never forget for as long as you live.”

Then, he moved onto Sun-Sing.

“And, Sun-Sing...” He bit his lip. “I cannot apologise enough. When I was told you were missing, I assumed you’d dropped all contacts and tried to start a new life, but I had always kept you in mind while scanning the world for killing games. It was a mistake to assume that.”

Sun-Sing whimpered. “I-I understand. Our... Our last interaction didn’t go smoothly, and I...”

“Don’t bother. It’s not you I’m here to return home.”

I blinked. What?

“We found your travel bag. You had tickets here, anyway.” Shui had a funny way of wording things, I noticed. “Seems this is where you’d been planning to move all this time, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct...” Sun-Sing replied.

“Then you’re fine.” He looked then to Cerberus. “What isn’t fine is the fact that YOU’RE here. Which means you either snuck in, or you’re doing something you shouldn’t be.”

Cerberus’ eyes closed slowly.

“Isn’t that right?”

Yoriko’s eyes, on the other hand, widened again. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t believe his lies,” Shui claimed. I remembered the diary, and almost blew a gasket when I realised it all made sense. “Whoever this man is to you, forget it. In reality, the person you’re looking at is an estranged criminal, working for a very dangerous woman. He doesn’t have an ultimate talent, and he’s been hiding his appearance. His name probably doesn’t even match him.”

Yoriko gulped. “His name is Cerberus...”

“Oh, definitely not.” Shui then switched to the last student- a man who didn’t look familiar, save the colour of his eyes. “This is who you’re really looking at.”

... I read the name aloud. “... R-Renesi... Nightshade?”

“That’s a false last name.” Shui put away the hologram. “He goes by Sycamore outside of the black market.”

That’s when I heard applause. Like the sound of glove hitting glove.

“Well, well, well...” The voice that came from Cerberus was almost foreign. “Looks like you found me, Ninigata.”

“That begs the question.” Shui crossed his arms. “The hell are you doing hosting a killing game? The group you work for stopped taking requests for that.”

“That’s the thing, dear Shui.” And in one fluid motion...

Cerberus pulled back his hood and mask.

“I never said I _was_ hosting a killing game.”

**TRIAL – INTERMISSION**


	44. CHAPTER 5- A DESPAIR AS DEADLY AS SNAKE'S VENOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIAL (Part 2)

**TRIAL (Part 2)**

All at once, the personality of Cerberus changed. Hell, they weren’t even Cerberus anymore, were they? They were Renesi Sycamore. Renesi Sycamore, a member of... what was it, the Black Market?

And... By further extent...

“Related...” I choked. “Related to her.”

Monomodo laughed. “Shui! It’sss good to sssee you after all thisss time.”

“Can it, tin-can.” Shui adjusted his cuffs. “I don’t even want to know how you’re still kicking.”

“Pleassse...” He chuckled. “We BOTH know that anssswer...”

“Yeah, Shui.” Renesi seemed to keep in tone with Monomodo. “We BOTH know that answer. After all... it’s not like you’re exactly quiet about what you’ve done.”

This was no longer a debate between us, it seemed, as Monomodo, Shui, Renesi and Sun-Sing all had varying expressions. Monomodo was laughing, Renesi was smugly twirling what appeared to be a ritual knife in between his fingers, Shui was openly quiet, and Sun-Sing... Sun-Sing had the saddest eyes of anyone I’d ever seen.

“Ahem!” It was Yoriko who brought it back. “If you guys would like to join us, we do have a trial to be trying to get through!”

Shui shrugged. “What’s the point? I’ve already opened the way out. We could just walk out right now.”

“Yeah, it doesssn’t work like that.” Monomodo snapped his claws and the way out of the trial room slammed shut, the gate that had been blocking it returning. “We’re here to find the massstermind, correct? Let’sss find them.”

Yoriko grimaced. I simply replied to the statement. “We were... talking about the possibility of Cerberus being them?”

“Well they aren’t,” Renesi replied. “Because Cerberus doesn’t exist.”

“I get that...” I hummed. “But then it could be-”

“Don’t you understand?” Renesi interrupted me. “I was literally hired to fill numbers. The real mastermind told me to get in under a different alias, and I thought the best kind of person would be some guy stripped of his real identity.”

Masa shook her head. “Why? Why do this?”

“Pay was good,” Renesi replied honestly and bluntly. “And lemme tell you, this was NOT worth my time. But hey! I did what they told me, and now I’m eighty grand richer.”

“Fuck you!” Kenjiro yelled suddenly. “You’ve known the whole time?!”

“And you know who the mastermind is...?” Shui put a finger to his lips, thinking. “And you’re not going to tell it them, are you.”

“Hey, us Remnants have got to stick together!” He laughed, and I felt sick to my stomach. “But hey, you’re smart fellows. You’ll figure it out.”

Remnants... like, Remnant of Despair?

Remnants of Despair working together to make our lives living hell... It was too much to think about.

And yet...

That rose a very, very good question.

The debate began with my voice, for what felt like the first time.

“If the Mastermind is a Remnant of Despair...” I stuttered out. “Then we’re looking for someone who doesn’t react right to certain things.”

“Remnants of Despair are good at acting,” Shui mentioned. “Someone could easily disguise their actions as a student.”

“But they love despair, right?” Masa grumbled. “That means we just have to do something that gets them out of their comfort zone.”

“What, you want to chop fingers?” Renesi quoted, smiling.

“No, no... I’m just...” Masa thought harder. “There’s got to be something that tells us what’s going on. A piece of evidence out of place...”

Yoriko huffed. “Doesn’t seem to be.”

“There has to be!” Kenjiro yelled. “After all, all the evidence is pointing to Renesi- we don’t have anything else!”

“We have our memories.” I mentioned. “Has anybody here done something that would be considered wrong?”

...

Why wasn’t this discussion going anywhere?

Yoriko was right. There was no evidence out of place. Everything pointed towards Renesi. But even so, I... felt like I should be remembering...

...

...

_‘I didn’t want others relying on me.’_

... All at once... I cracked. Hard. There was... no way, right?

I looked over at him, seeing that he was scanning everyone like he usually did. I couldn’t believe it... It was only a hunch! There was no way it was true...

“It _all points_ to Renesi... There’s nothing really we can say.”

And my breath hitched as I called back to the Letters of Denial. “N-No, Yoriko, it... It isn’t. Because Renesi never applied for Hope’s Peak.”

Yoriko looked over, his brow furrowing. “What?”

“I mean, she’s right,” Renesi quipped. “I didn’t. Why would I? They’d never accept someone like me.”

“Denial after Denial after Denial...” I tapped the table. “And a single acceptance letter. I just... it can’t be...”

A tear escaped my eye. Why this? Why after all this time had I figured it out? We’d relied on him! We’d told him things that wouldn’t tell others! We...

“Yoriko...” I looked him dead in the eye, which was difficult through the tears. “Please... Tell me it’s not you.”

Yoriko flinched. “What?”

“You’re... not the Mastermind, right?” I tried to keep my sentence light. “I-I’m just thinking things, right?”

Yoriko crossed his arms.

“No, Osen. I’m not the mastermind. You have nothing to worry about.”

... _Lies._

I could hear it on his voice. A tone he’d never used before. A tone of... worry? Like I’d caught him in the act.

And luckily, it seemed Shui had caught it too.

“... Then let’s discuss that.” He said, firmly. “Why can’t you be the mastermind?”

The next debate seemed to cut through me. I stayed completely silent, just watching Yoriko defend himself.

“Well, what suspicion do you have to go on?”

“The suspicion I have for everyone here,” Shui said. “The fact that you’re alive right now.”

“Yoriko’s been useful this entire time,” Kenjiro told him. “He’s a Detective.”

“Hmm...” Sun-Sing seemed to have a revolution. “Is there a chance that... he’s been doing it on purpose?”

“Why would I do that?” Yoriko said again. “I mean, I’m not stupid. I know things. I just don’t get how that makes me suspicious.”

“You... were being targeted...” Masa defended him. “By D-002...”

“Yes, because I had Monomodo’s AI chip,” Yoriko said.

... He... had Monomodo’s... AI chip.

“Where did you get it from?” Kenjiro was beginning to see the light.

“I got it from the hidden room. In the dorms.” He motioned with his finger. “It was in the computer. _I just borrowed it,_ and I gave it to Osen.”

“You...” Again, I almost choked. “Y-You didn’t. You...”

Yoriko looked at me. “What now?”

“Monomodo... came to life, today.” I patted my pocket. “I had kept the chip on me since you gave it to me. And suddenly... suddenly he just boots to life, same time it goes missing?”

“Are you insinuating I turned Monomodo on?” Yoriko cocked an eyebrow.

“N-No, I...” I swallowed. “M-Maybe? I don’t anymore.”

“Listen well, Osen.” I watched as he leaned on his podium. “I didn’t touch the AI chip after you took it.”

...

“There... was a place you could’ve.”

And again, I felt my blood run cold when I heard Masa’s voice.

“What do you mean?” Shui asked.

“It was... around the time... he got attacked.” Masa looked to me. “You remember, right? You remember that?”

I nodded, Recalling that memory. “D-002 had attacked Yoriko. Told him that... he had messed up. That he knew about the AI chip.”

“So why didn’t he go after you?” Masa responded. “Because if YOU had it...”

“... Yoriko would’ve never been attacked.” I replied quietly. “H-He... could’ve... just... said.”

Yoriko’s brow furrowed. “What are you getting at?”

“Yoriko...” I looked up. “Please... just tell us the truth.”

I sniffled. Yoriko wasn’t even saying anything, and he was scaring me.

“Tell us you aren’t the Mastermind.”

Silence...

And then...

**“LET’S DISCUSS THIS MORE!”**

He targeted me with that sentence. Only, me. And I felt something when he stared me down.

There was no attempt to hide it anymore. He was targeting me. He knew I was the weakest of the group, and he was going to use me to get what he wanted.

And what he wanted... was a clear defence.

The one-on-one debate started calmly. “So you say I’m the Mastermind... Well, I’ll denote that. Because, no, I’m not. And I refuse to play along and get everyone killed. I have no reason to be it, and I have no reason to be doubted.”

I shook my head. “Everyone does. The way you... have been acting... It’s scaring me.”

“Well then that’s your problem.” I heard his voice change. “I defended you, you know. I helped you through that fourth trial. You were going to be executed but I found the loophole. You can’t tell me that you still doubt that I care?”

“That’s the not the issue!” I yelled back. “You’ve... you’ve changed, Yoriko. You’re so forceful now.”

“I’m forceful because I’m annoyed.” He grabbed his hair, running his fingers through it. “You have no evidence, NO people to back you up. You’re going on a whim, here. Ever _since D-002 was destroyed_, you’ve doubted me.”

Finally... a crack in the cement. I recalled D-002- specifically, when he got shut down- and I wept silently.

“How did you know attacking D-002 that way would shut him down?”

He stopped. Took a second to keep himself level. And then responded. “Because I saw the blueprints.”

“Where did you see them?”

“On the monitor in the hidden room.”

And for the first time since I’d met him... Yoriko’s argument was false.

“What monitor?” I replied. “It got removed.”

... Yoriko’s eyes suddenly widened as he seemed to realise the mistake. He looked to everyone, his blinking just... cutting the crowd.

And then...

The smallest chuckle escaped his lips. “Well, well, well... That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you take charge, Osen.”

I coughed, like he’d shot me with a gun. “W-What...?”

Shui growled. “And the voice becomes clear.”

“I should’ve known it was _you_ that’d find it out,” he laughed. “God... I should’ve gotten Hirota to kill you instead.”

Kenjiro flinched. Sun-Sing moved on. “Yoriko, is it true? Are you the Mastermind...?”

Yoriko shrugged. “Oh, what’s the point in hiding it... yes, I’m the Mastermind. And yes, I know you hate me.”

I whimpered, holding myself close. “W-Why... Why, does it have to be you?!”

Yoriko rolled his eyes. “... Osen... I’m... not going to lie to you. I don’t like seeing you like this. You’re a tough girl, but you lake guidance.”

“You _were_ my guidance!” I screamed back. “You helped me through everything! You were able to find evidence, a-and help us through the trials, a-and... Why would you do this?! Why would you--”

“Osen, please just shut up for a moment?”

The harshness behind the statement made me go quiet out of pure confusion. Yoriko wiped down his face, groaning into his hand as it stopped on his mouth, before finding the words he wanted to say.

“I never wanted this to happen, you know.” He continued. “You’ve already found the evidence to prove that.”

I was silent. I couldn’t speak. Luckily, someone else did for me.

“You’re talking about the bomb collar, aren’t you?” Kenjiro recalled to it.

“Mhm.” Yoriko flipped around his notepad. “I... I don’t wish to say I was FORCED to do this, but it’s not like I’m going to deny it. You see, we’re part of a killing game, and they needed someone to run the joint as the Mastermind. Apparently it was the ‘hip thing’ to do.”

I’d never watched a killing game before, but considering Shui was nodding I could assume he was telling the truth.

“Truth is...” Yoriko smirked to himself. “The game’s been rigged from the start, if we’re honouring Motosuki’s legend. As the Mastermind, my job was to make sure specific students stayed alive. One of them was you, Osen. Another was Sun-Sing. Of course, I failed to keep the third and fourth one alive- Cho and Hisonora, who were supposed to survive until the end.”

He referred back to the bomb collar.

“If both Cho and Hisonora died, this would’ve gone off, killing me. Unluckily for the assholes upstairs, I figured out how to take it off. Just took a little camera dismantling, and I was in the clear to remove it.” He waved it about. “This little guy’s been sitting in the art room’s hidden room since before Chuu even bit the bullet.”

Masa was much like me in that moment- tears poured down her face. “C-Cho was... s-supposed to survive?”

“Yeah, well,” He shrugged. “Obviously they never accounted for the fact the third motive was affecting an actual kid. She died because she was young, not because she was weak. Nobody told them it’d happen.”

“Speaking of the third motive...” Shui pulled up the holographic display on his wristwatch. “That’s the virus one, correct? That would mean you willingly subjected yourself to it.”

“Hey, I’m a Remnant,” he quipped. “It was fun while it lasted.”

“S-So... That’s it?” I asked gently. “You’re... you’re the Mastermind, right? S-So... if we just vote for you, we...”

Yoriko nodded. The fact he was already accepting it seemed to be a painstakingly horrific experience.

Of course, as I poked the voting tablet to turn it on, the second wave of anguish hit me.

“... The reason you defended me, in the fourth trial.” I swallowed. “Y-You knew you could manipulate the rules. You knew how they worked. You...”

“I did.” His response was cold. “And I did it because that’s what needed to be done. Your life meant nothing to me, Osen; but clearly, someone cares about you somewhere.”

Shui then stuck out his hand, signalling for everyone to stop.

“I have one last thing to run by you, Yoriko.”

“Go ahead.” Yoriko was already listening.

“What’s your connection to Kaiyo?” He asked, addressing something I’d completely forgotten. “After all, the Mastermind has an apparent obsession of her.”

Sun-Sing growled. “W-Why does that matter?”

Yoriko shrugged. “It’s alright. I can explain.”

I was massaging my temple as he explained, the story getting more and more convoluted as it continued.

“See, I’m gay.” He responded. “Have been for a while. But I’m not going to lie when I say that I met Kaiyo in the corner store that I worked at to earn tuition. And I guess it was... love at first sight?”

I watched as his smirk turned soft.

“She was everything I ever wanted.” He began reminiscing, making me sick to my stomach. “She was like a flower in the month of December- rare, and beautifully different. Sleepless nights of ideas of what we could do together... it was the most fun I had in a long, long time.”

He chuckled, but then stopped smiling.

“And then 14-B got thrown into a killing game. I remember watching it with my friends. They were all rooting for her... and I was rooted in the idea of watching her pass on.” He spoke with a disturbing ire. “Her struggles... her hardships... oh, how I dreamt of running myself inside her to cure it. How her eyes glowed that unsettling red by the end, and how I wanted to tell her she was just... perfect for me...”

I was on the verge of throwing up.

“So when she escaped, and the credits played, I felt so much relief that...” His smile trickled back. “That one day, I might find her again. I did. And... she was different.”

He then made a short, almost terrified laugh.

“God... The last day I saw her... she was so confused. So scared.” He licked his lips slowly, wetting them. “So... beautiful...”

Then, the slightest laugh from Renesi alerted me he was still there. “Yeah... That’s why I took your offer, you know.”

Yoriko looked over. “Hm?”

“So I could live to this point, and tell you the exact words I’ve wanted to since I found out about your little ‘obsession’.” Renesi very obvious voted for Yoriko, tapping twice to show it had a few ‘make sure’ messages afterwards, too.

He then looked up, the smile he had fading.

“_Keep the fuck away from my sister, you freak._”

“I’ve heard enough,” Masa said, already voting for Yoriko herself. “Yoriko, never in my life would I have been so disgusted by a man I respected before.”

Yoriko hummed. “Well, that’s a given. I understood I was dying long before it was bound to happen.”

I was still so unsure about whether or not I wanted to vote for him. It was that last sentence from Renesi that made me realise something- that Yoriko was a Remnant of Despair. He didn’t care whether or not someone died, nor did he care about us. All he’d wanted was to be someone he was happy with- a lying, cheating bastard who had helped us through trials, just because he’d wanted to see our faces at the end.

I looked at my voting tablet, tears still flowing. I poked Yoriko’s face- it gave me a ‘are you sure?’ message with a YES or NO option, which I poked ‘YES’ to.

VOTE CASTED, it read next. PLEASE WAIT, it told me.

Kenjiro sighed. “I guess if anything, I can vote knowing that I’m avenging Motosuki. After all, you’re the reason he’s dead.”

“I’m the reason everyone’s dead, Ken.” Yoriko sighed, watching him cast his vote. “I know what a problem I’ve been. Just get rid of me.”

Sun-Sing was the last to vote, and I could tell she was hesitant.

“... I’m just... tired.” She looked up, sad and exhausted. “Tired of people being bad to each other. Yoriko, can you promise me something?”

I don’t know what caused Yoriko to reply. Maybe it was knowing she needed a response, or maybe it was just because he could, but he gave her look to continue.

“... Promise me, after this... it’s over.” She looked at him. “No more killing games. No more pain, or sadness, or... or...”

Yoriko nodded. “I can swear to you that your vote results in freedom, as long as it’s correct.”

“Which it is... right?”

“If you’re voting for me, yes.”

Sun-Sing poked, poked, and poked once more. The votes were cast- now we waited for Yoriko, who also looked at his own voting tablet.

He could wait. He could just wait on and on until we were bored and clamouring for anything to change our fate. All we had was this idea that he was unable to sway our votes anymore, and no matter who he voted for, he couldn’t change the fact he was going to die.

As... Much as I didn’t want him to, even now.

He sighed. “You all vote for me?”

“Yep!”

“Yes.”

“I did...”

“Obviously.

“... Mhm.” I nodded, unhappy with the enthusiasm that came with them voting.

“Alright then.” Yoriko rubbed his hand along his tablet. “Then I can say something that’s been bugging me for a while.”

Immediately, I clocked him looking at Shui.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Shui repeated himself. “Shui Ninigata. I’m from Future Foundation.”

“Why are YOU here?” He asked. “Kaiyo was supposed to be here.”

“You think we’re stupid?” He asked. “We know what you’d been trying to do. Kaiyo was the first to tell us.”

Yoriko shrugged. “Eh, that’s a good enough reason I suppose. I mean... not like Kaiyo would’ve even come, huh?”

Shui nodded. “Now vote for yourself.”

“Actually, I’ve got one more thing to mention.” Yoriko was just time-wasting now. “About your... greatest desires. Specifically... Sun-Sing.”

Sun-Sing looked up.

“... Why would you want to bring back your child if you never cared for her in the first place?” He smirked. “After all... You never actually killed her, did you?”

... To my surprise, Sun-Sing didn’t respond. She just looked down again, begging the floor for him to shut up.

“No, your greatest desire...” He cast his vote. “I can actually supply that. Because your greatest desire, we’ve clocked... is to die, and never have your child know of the mother who put her up for adoption.”

I looked at her fearfully. “W-What...?”

“And trust me...” Yoriko tapped his vote once more, casting it. “I’m arranging for all of you to have your greatest desire... eh, half-filled. Osen will get to have her Arrhythmia cured, Kenjiro, you’ll get training to become the greatest doctor of all time if you wish to take it... Masa, you’ll get that money. And Renesi...”

He looked to him.

“... You don’t really have a desire, do you?”

“My desire right now is to watch you die,” Renesi put it bluntly. “So hurry up.”

Yoriko smirked. “And... Sun-Sing...”

“Thank you.”

My heart dropped.

“T-Thank you...” She was crying, just looking at him. “T-Thank you. I... I know, I don’t deserve it, but...”

Yoriko sucked air through his teeth. “Wow, you really are messed up. Begging for death, even after freedom is right around the corner.”

Shui closed his eyes. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he wasn’t going to.

“... Just...” She looked to Shui. “M-Make sure... Ini helps Itoh get to a good home, please? Better than the one she had before, anyway.”

Shui grimaced, bearing teeth, looking away and sighing.

“Itoh, huh...” Kenjiro bit his lip. “... I’ve had an Itoh in my medical ward before. She got her face burnt by an abusive father.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s...” Sun-Sing dripped tears onto herself. “That’s her.”

“Enough talk.” Yoriko pointed. “The votes are in.”

And sure enough, looking up at the screen, I saw it. Six votes, all to Yoriko.

He’d voted for himself anyway. It didn’t matter if his vote mattered.

And sure enough...

That pixelated dancing sprite of victory appeared on the screen.

**TRIAL OVER**


	45. CHAPTER 5- A DESPAIR AS DEADLY AS SNAKE'S VENOM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Postmortem/Execution/Epilogue

**POSTMORTEM**

I was already crying by the time I stepped off the podium.

Yoriko took a step away from everyone, holding onto himself as the weight of his actions began weighing on him. For some reason, I could see the smile that he held as... unsupported. Weak.

Fake. Fake like a smile I’d... Seen before.

“I just don’t understand...” Kenjiro started the sentence. “Why? Why, after all this do finally reveal yourself?”

Yoriko looked up at Monomodo. Monomodo shrugged- clearly, their relationship was nothing but business.

A business that started two hours ago.

“If you need to know...” Yoriko stated. “I wasn’t planning to win.”

“You... weren’t?” I heard Masa rise.

“To be honest, I’ve not wanted to win since the beginning.” He looked up. “I never wanted to be a Mastermind. Never wanted to put so many people’s lives in danger, but hey, I had a job role to fill.”

“This was just business,” Shui said. “You were a puppet.”

“I’d... rather be called a marionette. At least then I wouldn’t be classed lower.”

Sun-Sing looked to Shui, who looked back with a grinding tooth motion. “S-So what happens now?”

“Simple.” Yoriko clicked. “I die. You die. The rest escape.”

“Y-You’re really going through with this?” Shui asked, a tiny bit sorrowful. “We could always--”

“Shui.” She said, ever so gently. “I’ve made up my mind.”

Meanwhile, I watched Yoriko removed his overcoat, revealing underneath was just a black tank top. He flexed, almost victoriously, before returning to his original sour self.

How long had I known Yoriko for? How long had known the REAL Yoriko for?

Was... that question ever answerable? It definitely didn’t seem so. Yoriko now was acting like...

Like he had no emotions at all.

... The final twist for me. The fact that... after all this time...

“... Y-You’re a Shadow.” I looked at him, the tears still flowing strong. “Y-You never cared at all, huh? Never once.”

Yoriko closed his eyes.

And the next time he spoke, he was emotionless.

“If I have to admit that now of all times, then yes.” I saw his mouth twitch slightly at the proclamation. “Yes... I am a Shadow. And have been since my brother died.”

His brother. The man that Yoriko had killed in a fit of rage, a man he had gotten away with the murder of from that fact it was an accident. We had all been brought to the killing game with that same connection- the fact we had all murdered someone, no matter the cost, no matter the reason.

I’d seen the light, then. It seemed that the Shadow had all been allowed to keep one single emotion, despite what Yoriko had once said. Yuno was Lust, Umon was Rage. Hirota was Duty, and Kenjiro was Friendship.

And now, Yoriko... Yoriko was Love. An intense love had driven him to this point. Whether it was the love for the family who abandoned him or the sickening Love for Kaiyo Sycamore, he had done all of this because he couldn’t stop the beat of his heart.

Literally, and Figuratively.

Kenjiro quickly gave his two cents. “... The whole time, you’ve been telling us the Mastermind couldn’t be a Shadow.”

“And you knew it, didn’t you?” Yoriko said. Because of his tone, it was hard to tell it was sarcasm. “The team you brought in to try and ‘infiltrate’ the game... you were all certain for each other. You never even guessed a fifth man was Shadow, and he was the one working it.”

Kenjiro shook his head. “God... I...”

“Your sister would be proud of you, Ken.”

Kenjiro’s head flew up, looking at Yoriko. “...What did you just say?”

“... It was a troubling motive that I removed from the bunch,” Yoriko began to pace. “One of them was to start slaughtering family members until we got answers. I removed it from the pool while nobody was looking... and found that the only family you have that’s still alive is a little girl named Safari Yoshimitsu.”

Kenjiro choked on his own spit, stepping back in shock. “... I’ve never... heard of her...”

“Well, technically she’s a half-sister.” Yoriko rubbed his forearm. “But I suppose that doesn’t matter.”

Sun-Sing put her hands on either shoulder. “It’s finally over...”

“Over?” Yoriko motioned out with his hands. “My dear, the fun is just beginning. Now... I finally get punished for all the things I never wanted to do.”

I felt his eyes drift to me.

“And Osen...” Yoriko’s fake smile faded. “I’m sorry. Truly, I am. I know you’ll never forgive me for this. But... maybe sometimes we need enemies in our lives to show where our true friends are.”

I broke down for what felt like the fourth time in an hour.

“Alright, Monomodo.” Yoriko looked up at him. “I suppose you’ve got an execution ready?”

“One befitting of an Ultimate Detective.” His grin widened. “On your marksss...”

Yoriko pushed the curtain back, walking through his own execution with a single solitary wave.

(Execution Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J9xLR-Uyks)  
Full Credit to Team Danganronpa for the theme!

**YORIKO ITO EXECUTION: BLACKENED HEART SPREE**

The screen turned on, and we were immediately met with Yoriko just looking around at darkness. In his hand he held a revolver, relaxed and poised, at least until a blackened claw drove its way into Yoriko’s shoulder, pulling his hand upwards.

Monomodo, missing his jaw, placed his head upon Yoriko’s to cover his eyes as his tail wrapped Yoriko’s torso. I could barely see his expression, but I knew he wasn’t scared.

And then... the sound of a target rising sounded out, and my heart sunk when a full-body portrait of Chuu Nori was what was on it. I watched as Monomodo pulled on Yoriko’s shoulder, forcing him to raise the gun, holding it towards Chuu and pulling the trigger. A neon pink bullet flew through the air, hitting the scrap of cardboard, shattering the area around the heart.

Yoriko winced as the claws dug deeper, making him turn to another target that appeared. This one was of Yuno Tsuzuki, who Monomodo’s eye lit up at as he forced Yoriko to once again pull the trigger. This time, the bullet flew in an arch towards the neck, where it shattered the area, too.

Not satisfied, blood sparked from the shoulder meat as Yoriko was forced to look Northwards- a portrait of Kukiko Tezuka, who he made Yoriko shoot at the neck of as well, before turning him slightly to Hirota Hatsune, who had a bullet put through the head area. What he didn’t see was that behind Hirota’s portrait, was Umon Shigenobi’s portrait, which was shattered by the same bullet.

Next came the obvious- Cho’s portrait, half the size and twice as hard to look at. Yoriko actually saw this one- lower down meant he was able to see the face and it made him hesitate. Monomodo, however, forced him back into the saddle. He shot Cho’s portrait in the chest, only to be knocked dizzy by Monomodo turned him towards Akako Mori, who got a bullet into the neck like two others.

Then came Kane Sanjuro. Kane was right next to Motosuki Ara’s portrait, but I didn’t know if that mattered- Monomodo forced the arm up once more to try and shoot, only for the sound of clicking chambers to sound out.

Yoriko was out of bullets at this point. However, Monomodo didn’t seem to care and simply improvised.

Yoriko’s body seemed to explode with horrific injuries as piano wires wrapped themselves around Yoriko. It was like a puppet being put on strings, allowing Monomodo to snake up them like a real serpent would’ve, and Yoriko was piloted from above as he entered a combat mode. The strings guided him forwards, marching him towards Kane, before Yoriko haphazardly snapped it to pieces. Behind his cut-out? Another revolver, which he was forced to pick up.

Now the commanding became far more forceful. Every time Yoriko was forced to raise his arm, blood seeped out onto the floor, making it all the more painful to watch. Yoriko pointed the new revolver at Motosuki and drilled three bullets into Motosuki in various places, and now his face was uncovered I could see his anguish for good.

Hisonora Yanjuu was the next cut-out. Yoriko hesitated, but still shot, hitting him in the heart which caused Hisonora just to explode when the bullet hit a barrel to make it combust. Yoriko was hit by said explosion, his skin bubbling slightly from the heated air.

And then he was forced to turn and look at a cut-out of Sun-Sing. It was the first time my eyes broke away from the crowd to see the real Sun-Sing wasn’t in the room, and it only took the camera panning aside to show that behind Sun-Sing’s cut-out...

Was the actual Sun-Sing, a sad smile on her face as she stood there, eyes watering gently. Yoriko didn’t know- he held his gun up, firing quickly, aiming right between the eyes.

... Sun-Sing fell backwards, blood spraying from her forehead. Yoriko saw the body fall, his eyes opening wide, but he was given no time to mourn as he was forced to look at a cut-out of... himself.

Yoriko’s hands shook as it was thrown upwards to point the gun at his own face. He just looked at it, wanting nothing more than to pull away, but without his ability to change that...

He fired.

And front the heart of Yoriko, another bullet fired, hitting the real one right in the heart, too. It wouldn’t take a genius to know the blow was a killing one.

As Yoriko’s body went limp, landing in a heap of blood and piano wire...

The sound of gate opening behind us sounded out.

**EXECUTION EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY.**

I choked on tears as I looked away from Yoriko. He’d... he’d really done it. He’d held onto his promise- his promise to kill Sun-Sing, and then he’d killed himself. Yoriko was dead.

The game was no more.

Masa caught me before I fell. Kenjiro was at my side in moments, noticing I was fainting. I felt him hold onto me too, as did Masa, and eventually Renesi also walked over and tried to pull me back. We were the survivors. We had won Yoriko’s killing game, and all the trauma that had come with it.

They helped me to my feet. I stood firmly, trying to hold onto the Hope I felt of escape. Shui stood there, completely blunt even after all of it.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

“... Can you give us just the slightest second to digest what happened?” Masa asked him.

“Mourn them later.” Shui turned to walk out, only to be stopped by Kenjiro. “... You’ll have plenty of time to give them the proper send-off you want later on. Right now, I don’t want to spend time down here if we have to.”

Kenjiro sighed, letting him go. Shui walked out, followed by Renesi, and then Masa and Kenjiro, leaving me to take up the rear. And that I did- sure enough, Shui was right. We _could_ mourn later.

I could mourn for the rest of my life, and it’d never be enough.

Out into the Grand Hallway, we saw it- the way towards the dorms was full of people, mostly people in body armour, were securing the perimeter or something. I didn’t understand. We were led through the hall, Shui pushing people out of the way to make room for us, until we arrived at the dorms.

“Are these the survivors, sir?” An agent asked.

“They sure aren’t corpses, moron.” Shui was already angry, and clearly so- he’d watched an apparent friend of his die in front of his eyes. “We’ve still got a problem. Monomodo got out.”

“Monomodo?” That person responded. “Sir, you told us--”

“I told you what I knew,” Shui barked back, “and what I know has changed. He’s here. Search for him.”

“Yes, sir.” The agent referred to the others. “Come on!”

A lot of the other agents ran up the hallway we’d just walked down, going towards the room we’d done the trial in. Shui grimaced, turning away.

“Fuck you, Phantom.” He said under his breath. “Incompetent twat...”

I staggered again. My heart was beginning to give out, but Kenjiro was at my side, helping my breath by rubbing my back. Renesi had a wicked smile on his face, probably feeling good about killing his sister’s stalker, while Masa was dark in the face as emotions she had no idea how to process ran through her.

But we were free. And I suppose that was what we were supposed to feel good about, wasn’t it? The fact we’d it out without dying.

Even though right now, I felt more than dead inside.

“So... now what?” Renesi asked. “Where’s the way out?”

Shui said nothing, simply pushing open the false wall, showing that the hidden room- the hidden room Yoriko had shown me- had been busted through, a staircase leading upwards that went out into the light. Despite how I felt, I was immediately scrambling that direction, unable to be stopped by anyone who cared about my well-being. Light... it seemed almost unnatural, like it had been on the Large Door when it has been closed. I was out of tears, but I’d be crying them then and there had I had any.

I still had that doubt in my mind as I climbed the staircase. The idea that he had lied- the idea that there was no escape, and that I was simply climbing upwards towards another trap. Escape just seemed impossible at this point.

... It took me actually collapsing onto the grass above, looking around at the pitched tents and people working, that I remembered what civilisation actually looked like. My body couldn’t even begin to adjust itself as I looked around, scanning every single thing like it was new.

It had been three weeks underground. That was it. And yet I’d forgotten the feeling that I felt.

Behind me, Kenjiro burst onto the scene. “Osen! Osen, hey...” He rushed to my side, thinking I needed medical attention, but he saw the sickly smile on my face as I kept looking around at every with elation in my eye.

“W-We’re free...” I told him, my voice squeaking out. “W-We’re finally...”

... I don’t remember what happened next.

But I do remember Kenjiro yelling as I passed out face first in the grass.

**...**

**EPILOGUE**

Losing Sun-Sing was my third mistake that day.

Osen, Masa, Kenjiro, Renesi- the four survivors of the killing game. Of course, my first mistake was not arriving sooner- though I suppose that arriving sooner would mean arriving three weeks ago. I’d tried my best to find them. It’s getting more and more difficult.

I suppose that makes my job much harder, too.

My name is Shui Ninigata. I am a member of Future Foundation, and currently I teach at NEO’s Hope’s Peak. My job is to find killing games before they happen- a track record that I have usually succeeded in, just not with this one.

It was Renesi that told me what happened. He’d remembered everything- having never been entered in said killing game from the start. He simply took the place of another student and pretended to be them.

Renesi is now currently in the possession of the police. His deeds in the Black Market will not go unpunished.

I hit save on my document, turning to the others. Masa, Kenjiro, and an unconscious Osen lay behind me, trying to subjugate what they learnt. I don’t exactly remember what I said. When I enter business mode, all hell tends to break loose.

Sipping on lukewarm coffee, I remember what I’d been through. Many times. Trying to gather sympathy. I failed. And I understood of what stakes my failure is responsible for.

I sighed, finding my voice. “If you wish to ask questions, do it now.”

The silence was deafening.

“... Guess not.” I stood, adjusting my cape. “I’ll give you some time to adjust. When you want to talk about what you wish to do next, I’ll be in the main tent.”

I pushed out of the medical tent, walking across to the bigger of the three tents set up. Agents that crawled the place gave a wide berth as I walked straight towards it.

I pushed the tent flap aside, looking in. “You’ve got five minutes.”

... Renesi sat, tied to a chair. He looked up, smirking hard. “Five minutes is all you’ll need.”

I sat down across from him. “You realise you’re going to pay big time for this, right?”

“Well, paying BIG TIME... I got paid, big time. I’m going to suffer.” His head was examining the room. “I actually only have one question.”

“Go ahead,” I told him. “It’s your own time you’re wasting.”

“... Is she okay?” He asked me, gentler than he had been meaning to. “Kaiyo, I mean. How has she adapted?”

“... She’s fine,” I lied. “She’s on new medication. Hopefully it’ll sort out whatever’s going on with her.”

He chuckled. Somehow, I think he knew.

“What are you going do now?” He asked me again. “You just going to... lock me up?”

“That’s the idea.” I crossed one leg over the other. “You’re fighting an uphill battle, here. The longer we search, the more evidence we’ll have against you.”

“It was Yoriko who hosted the game,” he reminded me. “You’re putting that shit on me?”

“No, we’re not.” I rubbed my eye. “It’s not like Masterminds survive their games, anyway.”

He laughed, a hearty laugh that I wish I was capable of. “There’s something else, isn’t there Shui?”

“...” I stayed silent, waiting for him to tell me.

“That girl...” He smiled wider. “Sun-Sing... You had something going on with her, didn’t you?”

I shut him immediately. “Don’t get any wrong ideas. I didn’t love her. We were barely friends. But we work partners, and... It’s hard to someone like that go.”

“She never mentioned that,” He told me sharply.

“She never had to,” I replied formally. “She wasn’t working under me... on purpose.”

“I think the word you mean...” He leant forward knowingly. “Is that she never even suspected to be working you at all?”

I turned away, hiding my expression. Sure enough, he knew. Something I’d hope he hadn’t. Call that the second mistake of the day- assuming the man who had worked on the Black Market for half his life wasn’t going to know things about someone so open to his origin like me.

“Then you know what I did,” I told him.

“... I do.” He laughed.

“And you’re going to use it against me.”

“I am.”

“Well here’s the thing...” I sighed. “I don’t care.”

“I know you don’t,” He interrupted me. “That’s what makes this sooo much easier. After all...”

He was as far forwards in his chair as he could be.

“Wouldn’t the world love to know that you hosted your own killing game to bring back the lives of the people you loved?”

I stood. I wasn’t... angry. Wasn’t upset, wasn’t shocked. In fact, I wasn’t any emotion. I just wanted to stop talking. Walking up to an agent watching over us, I put a hand on his shoulder.

“Make it seem like an accident.”

The agent nodded...

And I walked out.

A single gunshot cut the air, and although other agents rushed in to see what had happened, they wouldn’t need to be afraid of the truth.

My name is Shui Ninigata.

... And I’ve done terrible things to keep that name.

**END CHAPTER**

**3 SURVIVORS REMAIN – THE KILLING GAME IS OVER.**


	46. INTERMISSION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

Classes had just started up when I had entered the school. I walked through the halls of NEO Hope's Peak swiftly and quietly, ignoring the looks of confusion and obvious questioning that I received from the students.

Entering the room at the far back of the corridor, I closed the door gently to see him looking out onto the pathway I walked up from. The window was shined, too, and since I could see his reflection, there was a high chance he could see mine, too.

Even though I knew he knew I was here, I cleared my throat.

"Sun-Sing." Shui didn't make any attempt to move. "Been a while."

"... Too long." I stepped forward, awkwardness floating in the air. "S-So... this is where you've been this whole time."

"Never stepped foot out of the range of Hope's Peak." Shui finally turned, and I saw his tired eyes before I saw his smug expression. "Too many problems in this world that I can solve. I'm taking down Hope's Peak if it's the death of me."

I huffed. "It... It might, you know."

Before he could speak again, a head poked its way through the door. "Sir? Sorry, is there a class today?"

Shui looked over my shoulder, his smile fading. "Not today, Finch. Class was cancelled this morning; Tell the others I'm busy with something else."

"Okay! You're the boss!"

The girl known simply as 'Finch' closed the door behind her, leaving me in awe. I looked back to Shui, watching him walk around me and to the front of the room where he adjusted a few pieces of set-dressing.

"Y-You're..."

"A teacher, yes." Shui interrupted me, sitting on the front desk. "The NEO Teacher of Cartography, or some bullshit like that. Honestly, it's just so I can work inside the building. Makes getting inside easier."

"Clearly, you've developed a friendship with your students then..."

"I'd call them co-workers if they had any talent outside what they were trying to learn. Most of them just use my class as a free lesson, get work done for other ones."

I sat on the desk across from him. "Cartography fallen out of trade, has it?"

Shui gave me a dark look, which made me fall silent. Clearly, something was going on- of course, or else he wouldn't have invited me. As he got up again, heading across the room to the back, I finally told him what I'd done.

"... She's alive, you know." I looked at my hands, as I knew I wouldn't need to gauge reaction. Shui knew who I was talking about, as signified by his growl to himself. "I just gave her to Ini's Orphanage. Nobody knows. Nobody expect you."

"And you," He added.

"... I don't want to think about it."

"And yet you just did." From behind me, I heard the familiar sound of an opening pocket compass. "But that's not why we're here. At all. You're delaying the inevitable. So go ahead and speak- the Security Cameras are off in this room for the next three hours."

He was right. I wanted to try and make myself as hated as possible in order to get around the fact that... what I was about to do was all but disgusting.

So I spoke.

"... What kind of people are you looking for?" I asked him, looking up at the blackboard.

"Anyone." Shui finally rounded back to me, standing next to me to stare at the blackboard. "We need ten of them. It's ten souls for ten souls- The Serpent only deals in equal or greater."

I bit my lip. He was serious after all. "... So you really did it."

"I'm not being held responsible for the lives of others," He told me, twirling his compass like a pocket knife. "... Don't you want to be free?"

I felt a horrific spike in my heart beating. Freedom from the oppression we'd felt under his eyes. It'd be nice.

"P-Promise me this is all we have to do." I looked up at him, my eyes barely holding back tears. "Promise me that we only need to put ten of them in the targets of the next killing game."

"And then we're done," He finished a sentence I didn't even know I'd started. I nodded, reaching into a pocket of mine and pulling out a list of names I'd scouted around the main building, feeling the shaking hand of mine turn rigid.

"... Here." I held it out. "Ten names that are related to ours."

Shui took it, reading it aloud to himself. "Kukiko, Chuu, Masa, Kane... Motosuki, Cho, Akako, Hisonora..."

His eyes squinted.

"Osen Goya... I actually know this one." He adjusted the paper. "She's an Honour Student. You're asking a lot to--"

"And then I'm the tenth." I stopped him before he could detour, and I saw his breath hitch. "That's what we promised. We promised I'd enter tenth, and then Monomodo would bring back the rest of our class."

Shui said nothing, putting a hand on my shoulder and making me flinch away from him. He didn't comment on it, knowing what I'd been through, but still held a sturdy expression. "You're sure about this?"

"If it means getting them back, then yes."

"... Then I guess I can't stop you." Shui let go of me. "It's your life, and if you plan to abuse it then I suppose I'm forcing myself to look the other way."

I bit my cheeks, trying to stop myself from crying. Shui headed towards the back of the room again, but stopped before entering the storage room.

"... Thank you, Sun-Sing." He said over his shoulder. "I promise... I'll make sure they erase your memories of it all."

...

...

Why didn't that promise ever get fulfilled?

That was my last thought...

As the bullet entered between my eyes.


	47. CHAPTER 6- HOPE FINDS FREEDOM FIRST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EPILOGUE

**CHAPTER 6 – HOPE FINDS FREEDOM FIRST**

_“Flight 604 delayed. Please wait five minutes.”_

I look up at the flight attendance board, seeing the time tick over an extra ten. The flight from Australia to Japan kept getting delayed, and it was making me annoyed.

It had been... what, a month since the killing game? I’d been working with the others on trying to fix what Yoriko had broken, which didn’t take much- an eye for Kenjiro, therapy for the other two.

“Shui.”

I looked over at Osen, who was sat at the same seat she’d been since the beginning. She had luggage that she didn’t exactly need- her custom uniform was still on her person, meaning her bag was empty save a single roll of bandages I could see in the little pouch at the front. She kicked her legs, short enough that she could do so without incident, but she kept looking at me with that big green eye expectedly.

I sighed, walking over. “Yes, Osen?”

“... Um...” She poked her fingers together. “I... never got to thank you. For what you did.”

“I take it you mean saving you from the killing game?” I rolled my eyes. “Osen, its fine. I didn’t do anything that I haven’t done a handful of times before.”

“Yeah, but...” She was quiet. Obviously. “I... Still... Really, want to thank you for it. You... probably saved us from a lot more trauma.”

I paused. “Osen, you’re missing an eye and due to infection we can’t actually repair it.”

“Okay...” She admitted that. “But... I’m not dead?”

... I felt my stone-cold gaze crack slightly. Osen was genuinely thankful for what I did, and it made me feel... warm inside.

Of course, I changed back to a scowl when I saw Masa applying her congealer around her eye, and that Kenjiro was staring blankly forward, tossing around a stress toy of some sort of fruit.

“... Sometimes I wonder if this was our fault.” I was talking about the future foundation. “We’re always searching for games but we can’t find them if the person in charge knows how to get around our scanners, so...”

“Stop.”

I sighed, not used to being told what to do. “Yeah, whatever.”

“I’m serious, Shui.” She took my hand then, and I had to stand there pretending I wanted her to do that. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”

Again, I tutted. Now she was trying too hard...

We all looked up when we heard the announcement of the airport’s tannoy. I definitely felt her flinch, understandably so- she’d probably never be able to hear that sort of sound again.

_‘Flight 604 will be departing from the gateway as soon as ten minutes. Please make your way to the plane. That is Flight 604 to Japan. Thank you.’_

“... Well this is it.” She looked up at me. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to stay here and fix things,” I told her. “Maybe another month or so, and then I’ll be coming back myself.”

“Okay.” She trotted away, grabbing her bag as Masa and Kenjiro got up too. “Thank you, Shui! I’ll never forget you!”

I nodded and waved back as they all rushed off to the gateway. I made sure they got past the gateway before I finally walked away, planning to spend another 15 minutes in the airport before I headed back to the site of the killing game.

I got the decency to check my phone at that moment, seeing I had received a text in the five minutes I was making sure Osen was going home.

_All good?_

It was Kaiyo. I had to respond.

_All good on my end._

_How’s it going over in Japan?_

_They’ve arrested two suspects so far._

_One of them is Yoriko’s past lover_

_The other is one of the teachers from NEO’s Hope Peak_

_They say he might be abusive to students_

_You gotten in contact with Ini yet?_

_I did. She says Itoh got adopted by a nice couple_

_Says one of them is called Masako, if that brings up any memories._

I thought about it. The name was vague in my mind- so many different places with so many memories, I couldn’t think of where that name was familiar. Nevertheless, that wasn’t important.

_Have you been taking your medication?_

_Yes, dad_

_Sarcasm_

_But yes, I have_

_They’ve helped a bunch_

_I can’t hear her voice anymore_

_That’s alright._

_I’m sorry that it was the death of Sun-Sing that made that the deciding factor._

_Yeah_

_Did she say anything?_

_Anything at all? Anything about us?_

_Not that I remember._

Why was it so easy to lie about that?

Osen had told me everything she could about Sun-Sing. Hearing all the things that I had no idea about took me aback, learning that she’d loved Kaiyo and that she thought I was a good person.

_Okay_

_I’m going to keep in touch_

_See you when you get back!_

_Yeah, see you then._

I closed down the texting app, sitting on the sidelines. Sure enough, I was back in my working mindset- I’d never stopped, actually. Even when trying to spend time with the others.

Maybe I was accustomed to feeling that way. Even after getting texted again, I was opening my phone and thinking it was another message from Kaiyo, having forgotten something I’d need to hear.

... My heart skipped a beat when I saw the text. I closed my eyes, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath.

And then... I opened up my most recent texts from Hibachi.

_Hey :)_

The text was enough to hold me hostage. I wasn’t sure how to react, nor was I sure how to respond. I guess I should’ve expected what I saw, but even the idea that she was... back... was hurting my soul to think about.

... Oh who was I kidding? I have no soul.

_Hello? Who is this?_

_It’s Hibachi_

_I was told to text you as soon as I could_

_I guess it’s hard seeing me text you again?_

I bit my lip. For the first time, my nerves were returning. This was a joke. It had to be. I couldn’t be talking to her... could I?

_I need proof._

_Send a picture_

_I’m in a bra :o_

_That helps. I’ll know it’s you then._

... Five seconds later, I got a picture attachment. I opened it, and I instantly closed the picture again when I realised that she was right.

It was her. It was honest to God her, looking better than she ever had. Her body was still burnt up, but the scarring was much easier to look at, a simply greyish pink to compliment her tanned skin. She was happy, smiling, and though she was indeed wearing a bra that wasn’t what I was focusing on.

_It’s really you._

_I can’t believe it_

_I should be telling YOU that_

_I don’t know how I’m here_

_They told me they couldn’t say why_

You don’t need to tell her. You don’t need to tell her...

_It doesn’t matter._

_What matters is that you’re alive._

_I’m going to come find you okay?_

_Don’t worry._

_You don’t need to_

_I know I’m in Hope’s Peak_

_At least an extension of it_

_NEO Hope’s Peak?_

_Is that the words?_

_I dunno -_-_

_I was just told I was in Hope’s Peak but I’ve never_

_You know_

_Seen this place before._

NEO Hope’s Peak brought her back.

... NEO Hope’s Peak did it? That means... That means Monomodo was...

He was in Japan. Most importantly... In Hope’s Peak.

_Hibachi, I need to talk to you in person._

_I promise I’ll be back soon._

_Just please, do whatever they tell you okay?_

_Okay :)_

_TTYL!_

_And_

_I love you?_

My finger drifted over the buttons I wanted to push for way longer than I could expect. Of course, what I typed ended up being different from what I should’ve said, however.

_Like I said, we’ll talk about this in person._

_I promise._

Putting my phone back in my pocket, I felt my heart racing. Did that really happen? Did I hallucinate it all, or was Hibachi really alive? I mean, I knew Monomodo was able to make trades, but I never expected anything like this. Had he really brought back Hibachi...?

Had he really brought back everyone?

I suppose that was the issue. Now he’d done it, I... I could only think in negatives. What had he done? Were they all the way they were before?

Were they able to remember everything that happened?

Too many questions. No way to answer them. I had to get back to Japan.

I looked up, seeing that the flight back to Japan was already getting ready to depart.

I quickly got up and began running that direction.

**END CHAPTER.**

**END SERIES.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Crypt's Despairful Echoes comes to an end. Thank you all so much for reading! I understand that a lot happened with this novel- from delays, to scheduling errors, to the eventual burnout, it's been a very bumpy ride that I honestly now feel like I could've avoided.
> 
> However, I am very happy with how it came out. Does it compare to Another Branch? Quite honestly, I feel like they're on the same sort of level in terms of quality. I hope that you say the same!
> 
> Thank you all so very much for reading. Until next project!  
\- Joseph


	48. ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

**END SERIES.**

**END SERIES...?**

**...**

**The following extract of conversation is between Police Sergeant {REDACTED} and the suspect, {REDACTED}. The conversation had been happening for approximately 22 minutes prior to the beginning of this extract.**

“Still refusing to talk?”

“I’ve got no reason to. You’re asking an innocent man to spill knowledge on something I have no need to comment on.”

“You know something. I know you do.”

“Why would I?”

“Because we have footage of you meeting with him after hours. You’re hiding something.”

“Wow, those surveillance cameras actually work?”

“If you’re doing this to defend him, then stop. It’ll be easier to just say he was holding you at gunpoint over all this.”

“Ah, see, that’s where you’re wrong! Because you’ve already raised your hand on what happens to people who don’t talk. We get beaten. So what kind of evidence could you plant on a man who actually does?”

“... You’ve been in an interrogation before, huh?”

“Officer, if I told you the amount of times, you’d arrest me for lying in front of a man in power.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If I tell you how I got to this point, would you let me go? Or would you think I’m insane, try and charge me with insanity? That’s false imprisonment. Not that you seem to care.”

“Again, if you’d like to explain what you mean, I will listen. But all of this will be on broadcast.”

“Broadcasting my trauma, huh? Swear that sounds familiar.”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, actually, I don’t. I thought I could trust the words of a man in blue before they started slaughtering innocent people.”

“Don’t get political. The Department of Yokohama have no bad eggs among them.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Listen... just speak. I don’t doubt I’ll have questions for you.”

“Oh, I can assure you, you will.”

“Well... go ahead. Start talking. What is so important that you’re willing to hold up a police investigation over it?”

“Have to make this about you, don’t you? Don’t want to listen to the words of a man who knows too much about this place and how it works under a corrupt justice system.”

“... What are you...?”

“I’ve been here before. So many times that I’ve lost count. I stopped counting, actually, past the eighteenth.”

“So you’re a criminal?”

“No, sir, I’m making a point. But of course, I’m not answering a question like that.”

“... Then what question are you answering?”

“A wonderful question. A question I’m asking all the time as a matter of a fact.”

“Stop dodging it. What question?”

“The question... But what does that _mean_?”

**RILEY: IN PRODUCTION**


	49. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY A - TEMPERANCE]  
GOOD GIRL

“Remember we’re visiting your grandmother’s today.”

“Yes, Mama...”

“And you’ve got that meeting at seven, so you’ll need to dress for that.”

“Yes, Mama...”

... I sat the dinner table, picking at the food I’d been expected to eat. I hated trout, and I hated soup- combining the two to quote ‘keep my figure’ was like asking me to choke down sewage water. I’d taken two spoonfuls and hated both of them.

Mama stood above me, arms crossed, face stern. I looked up, hair covering one of my eyes, almost begging silently to be let go.

“Eat.” I was commanded instead, and it caused me to sigh. “This is all you’re having for today.”

I knew that wasn’t true, of course- it was Tuesday, and I was still in College. I had come home on the order of my parent, who still expected me to work despite apparently needing to other things, too.

I just let it happen at this point. At fifteen years old, talking back was seen as mutiny.

“Finish your food,” Mama told me. “Be a good girl.”

I bit my lip. I hated that... thing. That woman who told me what to do. She wasn’t my mother- she was a demon disguised as someone I was apparently supposed to see as a parental guidance. The phrase ‘Blood is Thicker than Water’ comes to mind- more importantly, it’s full title of ‘Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the Water of the Womb’, essentially explaining that the people you choose are greater allies than the ones you were born to.

And to be honest, I’d much rather be in the barely-held-together shoes of Chuu than have to sit at a table and force watered-down fish into me.

We weren’t rich. We weren’t poor, sure, but we weren’t rich; Mama took that seriously, creating these horrible concoctions that would save our pennies. She’d be quick to remind anyone that she was once an Ultimate herself; Ultimate Chef, as a matter of fact, who’s strict teaching style led to her eventual removal from the program. Lost in her hysteria and soon, the labour of taking care of a child alone after the divorce, I’d been the one expected to pick up the slack.

My upbringing? No, I don’t suppose I ever really talked about it. Why would I force myself to relive the eight hour straight study sessions, seven hour school days, six hour tutor sessions and blissful three hour naps... in order of listing?

You don’t tend to want to do that. You don’t tend to want to remember fondly about the times your mother thought your arrhythmia medication was hard drugs, being laughed at for even having heart issues. She’d always remind me of how weak I was, and yet somehow always sway me to believe otherwise.

I mean, obviously, I’d thought about getting a B in science six weeks ago, my penance should be kept away from intense pain behind the ribs for the night. There goes my sleep; there goes another day where I’m blamed for my scheduled suffering.

“Be a good girl,” She would tell me. “Do as you’re told. Don’t stray. Don’t let anyone try and teach you who you really are.”

Who I really was...

I never understood what she meant until that day. The day a letter was posted through the door. I went to move, but she sat my back down, grabbing the letter and looking through it.

... It wouldn’t be until two hours later I learnt why she struck me, and sent me to my room. The letter that had come through the mail slot was a letter of acceptance to Hope’s Peak Academy- something that she screamed at me for.

My talent? The Ultimate Honour’s Student.

I didn’t stray. Even in my only act of rivalling her, I fell right into her hands.

She denied me. Resisted me. Even told me that I would never amount to anything. She locked my room from the outside, forcing me to spend the night in that room. But she forgot about one thing; if you force a person into the shoes of someone they aren’t, you’ll raise a monster.

Because that’s all I was, to her. A monster. Someone she had wanted to grow better than her, and yet couldn’t accept it when the success didn’t put her in the spotlight. Mama was a demon, and I was her little underling.

It took two weeks to formulate the plan out. Out of that house, out of her life, and hers out of mine. It was like the world’s most torturous game of Cat and Mouse, which started with me collecting the letter from the trash bin in our kitchen the day before she threw it out and ended with a traveller’s rucksack of bare essentials packed.

I’d learnt to live off the bare essentials. It’s all she ever gave me.

She put me to bed that night with the same ominous warning- ‘be a good girl and stay in your bed’.

That night, I disagreed with that notion. I got out of bed, seeing that she’d left my door open. My bedroom was on the second floor of our home- I’m surprised I was even allowed a bedroom and not some closet in the stairs.

I had walked out onto the landing that night thinking that she’d been asleep. Mama used to take naps while I was at school- clear proof that I needed them, as well- so I had to be careful as I passed her bedroom door.

When the school worries about you more than your parent, something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Of course, I had gone to go down the staircase. I had removed any footwear, wearing socks instead to hide my footsteps. I was underweight, so I wouldn’t creak any of the floorboards.

But the light in the living room made me realise Mama was there. Something about it- call it a presence that I hadn’t indentified, or a quiet sign of recognition- I knew that she was waiting for me. I knew she was there in the armrest, waiting for me to crawl down that staircase so she could call me a ‘Bad Girl’ and hold me hostage for another week.

So I did the next best thing. I wasn’t stupid, far from it; even now I feel a little egotistical in saying that I’m proud of what I did next.

I went back into my room, leaving my door open as to keep the illusion I wasn’t gone. I had no technology, no phone, no computer... Distractions, as Mama would call them. I had a window, big enough that I could sit on the windowsill, and it had an openable latch that required a key. I had that key; Mama never let that window be open, so she never looked for the key. I realised that even closing my door would bring her upstairs, so I had to work quickly.

Grabbing the key from the battery compartment in my alarm clock, I put key to lock of the latch. Turning as slowly as possible, I managed to avoid making any noise at all, which made me realise that she had never even heard that I was awake in the first place. Even if she was waiting for me to come out of the bedroom, she’d never have suspected I’d do something like this.

Next was the hard part. Where I’d turned the lock slow, I’d opened the window quickly, as it would’ve creaked otherwise. Below me was the roof of our kitchen, moss and bird faeces covering it from lack of care, but that didn’t matter to me. I spun my legs and my bag out of the window, as that was what I planned to land on.

I looked back one final time, seeing she wasn’t there like I’d expected her to be.

And with a deep suck of air, I jumped. I landed on the kitchen roof, the cushion of the bag blocking my fall and my feet taking the brunt. I was skinny and fragile, so the miracle of me not breaking my leg was beyond anything I expected. I quickly scaled along the roof, no longer caring about what sound I was making- even at the middle of the night, I wasn’t afraid to scream if she spotted me.

I scaled along to the furthest point I could before hopping down onto the sidewalk. Looking left and right, I instantly dashed the direction away from the window in the living room- left, to be exact- and just ran with adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I’d escaped. As I’d find out, for good.

Turns out, people tend to take you seriously when you beg and cry into them at a gas station. They drove me to Hope’s Peak that night- the whole 200 miles, which I will never be able to thank them for as they drove off so quickly afterwards. There, I began a new life. There, I met friends that I’d never thought I’d make; I found old ones, who had been given the same opportunity as me.

Chuu became the Ultimate Archer, and we’d reunited under the building. I met a wonderful woman named Yanayashi who introduced me to her friends, and I was able to enjoy my time to the fullest.

I don’t... like to remember what came next, if I can be frank. The Killing Games that took place were... wrong. They were horrible. I don’t care for them, even if they’ve become broadcast phenomena.

... I’m forgetting to mention something. Something I will admit I’m not proud of doing. You see, that man who drove me... he called the police after my story, and they were able to figure out who I was related to. Mama was arrested on the charges of child abuse and enslavement.

I’m told that... if I had been there, Mama might’ve tried to use me. Could’ve convinced me that she was only doing it because she wanted the best in me.

But I didn’t go to the court hearing. I had been with Yanayashi that day.

She’d been helping me with my studies. As an Honours Student, you can’t exactly afford to stop studying; that’s how you lose the title, and while granted I’m not being put through the ringer over it I do still have attacks over it. But Yanayashi, Chuu, everyone... they help me through it. They taught me to deal with it, and even without medication I can survive.

But I can’t just stop studying.

I’m a Good Girl, after all.

**END**


	50. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY B- THE WORLD]  
MY HERO

_One, two, three, four..._

The man was only thirty. He’d been in a coma for a few weeks, having come to us in the condition. Apparently it had been a brain tumour; he’d had a history of passing out, but nothing like this. And now he was trying to leave us.

_One, two, three, four..._

My hands pumped the steady rhythm on the chest of the elderly man, mask pulled firmly over my mouth. Occasionally, my assistant would put the defibrillator paddles on him, sending a surge of electricity through them.

_One, two, three, four..._

The oxygen pump was still going. No need to panic. A body took six minutes to recognise it was dead, and we’d only been doing it for one, maybe going on for two. He was going to be okay. I was going to make sure of it.

_One, two, three, four..._

... Beep.

I stopped, looking over at the heartbeat monitor and sighing with relief. Behind me, the family of the man did pretty much the same. I adjusted the mask, my gloves feeling far too sweaty, but at least it was for a good cause.

I wasn’t losing another one.

Not like I lost her.

“Thank you...” His wife was already in tears. “Thank you... thank you so much...”

“It’s my job,” I answered, a little less formally than I wanted to. “If he’d died, I would have been just as upset with myself as you would’ve been with me.”

“You saved dad!” Their child yelled. “You’re a hero!”

I blinked.

“... Yeah. Hero.”

I walked off, my assistant changing out the IV bag for me while I went. I was already going down the corridor to the next hospital room, my eyes wide and wild, and my mask still firmly over my face.

I talked shit about not having emotions. About not being able to feel the fear of a person passing onwards. At least when I was a Shadow, I didn’t feel the urge to put everything on the table.

Next patient I took care of was next door. I walked in, hearing the familiar sound of the heartbeat sensor. I walked forwards, looking at the unconscious form of a man who was probably about eighty and older in mind.

No family. No friends. Nobody who would miss him.

Why would I keep them alive? It wasn’t his decision if he wanted to live; it was mine at this point. I ran the Coma Station at the hospital ward now. After the killing game, two years ago, I went back into medicine and got my doctor’s degree.

Ultimate M.D.? I guess I could still call myself that. I graduated from Hope’s Peak swiftly afterwards and got my job at the hospital that I had worked at before.

People looked at me like I was some sort of Hero. It was... horrible. I felt guilty everyday for what I’d done in the killing game- I’d earnt freedom for my friends, if they even still saw me as that. I saw them that way, if they did.

But I had put up sixteen lives in trade. Sixteen human beings who I had known personally.

I knew them because they were my patients. Dead, patients. I had to come up with the talents on the fly, but they would never know that- all they saw was a man list sixteen names as real people. Of course that Monounit wouldn’t have known that they were dead.

But he knew the names, and maybe that was enough.

... That day. The day we escaped. Shui had killed Renesi in cold blood. He treated it like a formal execution- like he had done it to protect us, to make sure we weren’t tied up in something we had no reason to get involved. I knew different of course; he’d done it to protect Kaiyo.

I... I saw her sometimes. While I was taking a break, I would see her enter, looking to get a prescription for split-personality medication. She would always look so sad, so lost.

And she’d always be talking. Either with someone else or herself.

Just how far into insanity had she fallen?

... How far into insanity had _I_ fallen?

“Kenjiro!” Rushing up the corridor as I left the room was my assistant, a man by the name of Nanaimo. He was one of those ‘too good to be true’ type people, able to perform quickly and speak quicker. He stood with me as a person with a darker past and a lot to prove.

Nanaimo gasped for air, pulling down his mask. “Ken... you need to stop running off like that.”

“Sorry,” I lied straight to his face. “Was doing my rounds. What took you so long?”

“I had to change the IV and the bedpan...”

“Course.” I huffed. “You really are too good for me.”

“Don’t talk like that,” He replied. “You’re a hero, Kenjiro. I’ve read your file- employee of the month four times in a row, eight times total, only doctor on sight to have a 0% mortality rate. Every upcoming doctor and nurse wants to be exactly like you.”

“You want to be like the person I present myself as,” I told him sharply. “Don’t _ever_ want to be me. You’ll be asking for torture.”

Nanaimo gave me a weird look, but decided to drop it. I walked with him to the third room, checking the chart in the door as I walked through and seeing it was a new patient.

I didn’t bother reading the name.

“Alright, what have we got?” I handed the chart to Nanaimo for me to read.

“It’s a girl, Ken.”

I froze, looking at the curtain pulled over the bed.

“She goes by... Safari Yoshimitsu...”

... I felt my blood run cold as I kept staring forwards. Nanaimo followed my gaze, understanding completely why I was doing it.

“... Your sister.”

I walked forwards, pushing the curtain aside. The heartbeat monitor was silent to my ears as only my heart beating echoed in them.

She... She couldn’t have been older than 13. Her body was stiff, her eyes closed, set up like all other coma patients before her. I sat down on the chair, unable to hold myself upwards.

“Ken...?” Nanaimo put a hand on my shoulder. “Do you need me to take this?”

“... What needs to be done?” I asked him.

“It’s just an IV change. I can get it if... you want to talk to her.”

I nodded, and he just got to work. As I sat with her, I twiddled my thumbs over each other, crouched like many other fathers watching their sons after surgery.

“... Safari.” I looked at her with dead eyes. “So you’re my sister, huh?”

The sister I knew nothing about. The sister I would’ve never even known existed had it not been for that damn killing game...

“It’s... it’s a nice name.” I looked to Nanaimo, who was clearly avoiding my gaze. “Exotic. Kind of.”

Why would my parents hide my own sister from me? Sure, they were drunk often, and they didn’t really try to talk to me about anything. I had to watch my father die and my mother follow him in the same hospital. But they never even tried to tell me they had had another child. Was I just too stupid to see it?

Or was Safari different?

Was Safari... like them? An Ouro Baby?

I had so many questions. Too many. And no answers, none until Safari woke up.

... Taking her hand, I ran my finger along it.

“... When you wake up, we’re going to need to talk.” I sighed. “A lot.”

Nanaimo finished up quick. “All done, Ken.”

I looked at him, my eyes not giving him the recognition he deserved.

“... I’ll...” He rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll tell the boss you need some time.”

“You’re a good man, Nanaimo.” Under my mask, I smiled at him. “My hero.”

He smiled, beaming back, before heading out and leaving me alone with her.

Safari is in a coma. Medically induced, by the looks of things. Something is broken inside of her and she needs to be hooked up to keep her from changing that.

I was going to wait for her to wake up. Who knows? It might be fatal. It might be completely worthless keeping her alive. She might be in agony, though I highly doubt that because her chart shows that she can’t feel a thing.

By all means... Even if it takes ten years, twenty... If my last dying moments are watching her waking up, or making sure she stays alive for her to see the world I have a part in creating...

I’m going to wait.

Until then... I need to do my job.

**END**


	51. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY C - THE CHARIOT]  
FORGET ME

I kicked the trashcan as I walked past it, spraying garbage onto the floor as I turned behind the corner. I heard the screaming of other children around me, recess having been happening for five minutes.

I wanted no part in their games. None of them would give me the time of the day, anyway. Nobody cared. Nobody cared about Chuu Nori, the little misfit child that just ruined everything that he was involved in.

... Except one person.

“Hey.”

I jumped, looking to my left to see that someone else was sitting next to me. A girl, red hair and pale skin, just looking straight forward, a book in front of her that held some high-grade mathematics.

We were in first grade. We were seven years old, and this girl was doing algebra like it was basic addition.

“What do you want?” I barked back at her. “I’m not in the mood.”

“You sat next to me... I was here first.”

I paused. That was true, to a fault; I hadn’t known she was there. I certainly would’ve have bothered to go there otherwise.

“... My name is Osen.” She stuck a hand out formally, asking for it to be shaken. I slapped it away, a small grunt of anger being my only reply, and she just looked back down at her book, defeated. “... Sorry.”

I tutted. The tone... I think that was what actually broke me.

“... Chuu.” I said it like I hated the name. “Why are you back here?”

“I can study back here in peace.”

Study? A stupid thing to be doing. We were children. We didn’t need to ‘study’, we needed to play. Then again, I was sat with her, so what did that make me...

“Is it fun?” I asked her, trying to hold a conversation for the first time in my entire life.

“No.” She replied with an eerily cheerful tone. “But Mama gets mad if I don’t.”

I flinched. “Your voice annoys me.”

“Thanks.”

“That... wasn’t a compliment.”

“No, as in... thanks for talking with me.” She looked at me, her eyes swirling pools of emerald-tinted grey. “It’s nice to finally have someone to talk to.”

I recoiled. I had just openly insulted this girl and she thanked me for my time...?

“Over here!”

I felt my blood run cold as I flew to my feet, hearing the heavy footsteps of someone else approaching. Osen didn’t move, just looking up as the corner of the building was infiltrated by three larger children.

Yamako and his gang.

“Look who we have here!” Yamako was three years older than me, and probably stood a good chance of being a linebacker when he grew up. “It’s Poo Nori!”

Back when I was seven, I didn’t know any swear words. I barely knew regular words, having blown off education for far too long. The only thing I could really do was stand my ground, sneering at him.

“What do you want, Yamako?”

“Oh, aren’t you a tough little sprout?” Yamako took a step forward, and though my body fought for control I resisted the urge to take a step back. “What, you think you’re better than me?”

Yamako was one of those... standard bullies. The kind who only learnt to hurt others through the hurt that they were feeling. Absent father, absent mother, bad home life... it was clear how he’d been brought up through the way he treated others.

Before I could react, I was shoved and felt myself trip over Osen and collide to the ground. She fell with me, making a worried eeping sound as we crashed to the floor together. The bullies laughed at us as I pushed myself up off the ground, dusting myself off, but looking down at Osen as she tried to gather papers together made me feel a rage I’d never felt before.

“Who’s this?” Yamako spoke with a horrible smirk. “What, you two dating?”

Osen put all her books quickly into her bag, closing it, just in time for Yamako to surge forwards and take that bag and hold it far above her head. “H-Hey!”

“What, are you a nerd?” Yamako laughed at her some more. “You gonna cry without your little book bag? What’s in here, anyway?”

I didn’t wait for him to try and open it. With all the force my seven year old body could muster, I sprinted forward and kicked him right in the genitals, causing him to double over and let loose one of the loudest yells of pain I’d ever heard. I punched upwards, sending him onto his back, before getting on top of him and unleashing at least twenty punches into his face.

Osen was the one to grab me, pulling me back as I swung wildly. Even then, I remember knowing that if I wanted to, I could’ve just pulled away easily. I could’ve just forced my way out of her grasp, continued punching until it was too late.

But being grabbed by Osen... it also reminded me of the people I’d be leaving behind. My mom, my sister... not so much my dad, but he was still worth noting. I had told him to his face I was going to outlive him.

Yamako looked at me in absolute terror as I slowed down, letting my breath finally return to me. I had almost definitely broken his nose, blood seeping from it and across to join the blood in his mouth from the shattered teeth. My fists were bleeding, too, but I don’t know if that was my blood or his.

I picked up the bag off the floor, handing it back to Osen, who immediately hugged it close. Then, with my best uncaring glare, I looked back at Yamako who immediately scurried to his feet, running in the opposite direction, screaming for a teacher for help, followed by his rat pack.

“... Sorry.”

I looked at Osen. “For what?”

“For um... m-making you care about me.”

“Oh for- Osen, its fine.” I looked back. “I’ve been dealing with that guy for a long time. It’s the first time I actually stuck up to him. But knowing him, he’s going to be able to twist what happened to favour him...”

“I... see.” She ran her hands along her arms. “You... must’ve had a lot of anger to take out on him.”

“Too much,” I corrected her. When I heard footsteps approaching the place we stood, I sighed again. “Welp...”

I turned, and the much bigger figure of a teacher loomed over me, arms crossed and acting cross. Behind him, Yamako stood, the absolute fear of God placed in him.

I couldn’t help but smile at the teacher. “What’s wrong?”

“You know what’s wrong. Come on.”

I sighed, looking back at Osen. “... See you later?”

She smiled back. “See you...”

And with that, I was dragged away by the teacher and into the head office. My parents were called, and they forced me to explain everything I had done, and sure enough it didn’t match with Yamako’s story. Amazingly, however, I ended up getting out with only a harsh scolding (The familiar ‘you tell us if something is happening’ shtick that never actually worked).

Yamako even tried to apologise, which he did a piss-poor job of. Turns out, I had probably beaten him worse than his father ever could.

Worse than _my_ father ever could beat me, anyway.

Issue was... that day, when I went home, and my mother was talking to me as she bandaged my knuckles... I felt something else.

An urge.

An urge to do it again.

To... protect.

To stop anyone who would ever do something like that again. Like a superhero. I was only seven, but I acutely remember that feeling of justice protecting Osen.

Like Robin Hood. He was a hero, right? Protecting the poor from the rich, or something. It was the only movie that we actually had in our crappy one-bedroom apartment, so I remember watching it once a month.

But that raised a question- how could I protect anyone if I couldn’t protect myself? I needed to stop sitting in darkness, and actually get out and help. I needed to be someone that others could look up to.

So I took up archery. Every session was 5,000 yen, which we could barely afford at the time, so I started stealing things to sell to the other students of the school I was going to. I stopped eating lunch so my parents could afford to stop spending money on me, claiming that I had signed up for the school lunch program.

In reality, Osen and I met every lunch past that day. She would share her food with me, despite me not wanting her too. We were inseparable, and rightly so; nobody wanted to mess with a pair of outcasts with one of them having violent tendencies.

It would’ve been perfect. I became an archer, and would go on to protect others from ever feeling the feelings of guilt they did from being bullied.

... And then my sister started 1st grade.

... I still hear her scream as the car crushed her body.

**END**


	52. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY D - THE MAGICIAN]  
BLACK SHEEP
> 
> WARNING: THE FOLLOWING STORY IS EXTREMELY DARK. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

I remember my first memory being my parents arguing.

Baby me never truly understood why her parents were fighting. Baby me didn’t understand Icelandic. So to me, it just looked like mom and dad were fighting because that’s what they did.

I don’t know what life was like before I was born. My parents were probably happy, but I could never know for sure. I just remember sitting there, playing with my plush rabbit while the screaming match echoed from the closed door of the kitchen.

_“Jæja kannski ef maður sat ekki um og drekkur svona mikið hefðum við ekki átt barnið í fyrsta sæti!”_

My mother, screaming about how I was a mistake. THAT was the first sentence my mind chooses to remember in full detail.

_“Heldurðu að ég hafi viljað þig ólétt? Þú sagðir mér að þú værir með ófrjósemi!”_

My father, yelling back that she was a hog-faced liar, followed by the smashing of glass. Baby me liked that sound, for some reason. Nowadays, I just know that it meant that my mother had earnt herself another black eye.

_“Þú eyðilagðir mig!” _Even muffled, I could make out those words. _“Þú sagðir að við værum ánægð með barn! Þú sagðir að þú hefðir séð um þá í gegnum allt!”_

They kept saying that. ‘You said you’d be happy’. Like I was the reason they weren’t. Later on in my life, I’d find their wedding photo; I’d find a woman so slim you’d think she’d starved herself and a man so proud that his smile couldn’t hide the tears of joy.

Nowadays, you could excuse the smell of vomit from the bathroom as my mother’s bulimia kept her in check and my father’s smile never shone again, the only tears he cried being those of pained remorse.

At least I had my feet. I liked my feet. My socks fit nicely on them, and I liked to rock back and forth while holding them. I was on carpet, too- nice, plush, white carpet, that felt good when I fell backwards and looked up at the ceiling.

I babbled as I tossed my rabbit to the other side of the room. What was I saying? Hell if I know. Babies tend to just make sounds that sound like words. I probably said ‘over there’ or something silly.

Cute, right? I was adorable. You’d be forgiven for never knowing that if you talked with my parents.

_“Ég hefði aldrei nennt ef ég vissi að þetta myndi gera þig svona!” _My mother continued yelling as I crawled my way over, grabbing my rabbit with my pudgy baby hands. _“Ég hefði verið fullkomlega í lagi með að eignast aldrei börn, en Nei, þú krafðist þess að við hefðum eitt!”_

I then tossed my rabbit again, this time over the couch and back where he was before. I liked my rabbit. He used to help me sleep, before I outgrew him. I never really was a child for long.

_“Mig vantaði einhvern til að halda áfram með nafn fjölskyldunnar míns!”_

_“Þú nauðgaði mér, helvítis svín!”_

That’s when I heard the sound of bone of flesh, and the screaming of a woman getting her due for talking back. The smashing of glass, the screaming and yelling of ‘No’ and ‘Stop’, but never the sound of remorse. I guess that was the time I really felt like I understood how to stand, because I tried doing it that day, and managed to hold myself on two feet for a good five seconds before falling backwards onto my butt.

I giggled childishly as my mother screamed her absolute lungs out. That was fun! I should do that again. I pushed myself up off the floor, my shaky legs able to hold me for a whole six seconds that time. I wanted to take a step, but I guess I wasn’t that confident at that time.

When I heard more screaming, I got back up again, and this time actually took a single step, falling forwards and catching myself on the couch. Even if they had never seen, I was proud of myself, and nobody could change that. I even managed to get another step in when I flopped backwards onto the carpet, falling next to my rabbit and laughing about it.

I took my first steps as a baby while my father violated my mother in the next room over, and I never even knew that’s why they missed it.

Must’ve taken two hours for the pair to stop. About time, I was hungry, and my babbling towards my mother showed that. Reaching out with grabby hands, my mother picked me up and put me on her knee, ready to feed me.

I don’t question why she had bruises all over her body. At that point, that was just how I knew her. She’d get a scar soon afterwards across her face that I wouldn’t question, either. Scars are cool. They show stories. Scars along the face, along the arms, along the belly. My mother had a ton.

But my father didn’t have any, and I could never understand why. Maybe he just didn’t want them? It’s understandable, if not uncommon. At least he was happy.

He’d... never show it, but he was happy. And so was my mother. I refuse to believe that they weren’t. Why else would they stay together, right?

It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t guilt. It couldn’t be, after all they loved each other. It was my fault they weren’t happy. I always heard them yelling at each other through the walls about it, and then never paid any attention to me when I was there. Even getting into Hope’s Peak wasn’t enough to earn their love, so clearly I was just a nuisance to them. Their fights meant nothing.

It was all my fault.

It was always my fault.

... Maybe that’s why they used nicknames for me. ‘Hirota’ was so hard for them to say, it just reminded them I wasn’t meant to happen. The pet names they used- ‘honey’, ‘little girl’, ‘light of our lives’- they were all fake, just so they could avoid saying my real name.

I was the problem. They loved each other so much and I refused to let them show that to each other.

I really am the Black Sheep of my family, huh?

**END**


	53. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY E - THE LOVERS]  
SILVER, PINK

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

With a mighty yell, I swung the baseball bat repeatedly on the bike. Shards of metal were sent off into the stratosphere, one of the wheels bouncing off and down the streets. You can call it an act of anger; I’d call it ‘Ball-kickingly risky’ considering I was doing it in front of the kid’s house.

When I was six, I wasn’t able to control my anger. I’ve had considerable anger issues through my entire life, and I’ve only been able to hold it down through my humour and my music.

The second I was finished, I hurtled the bat into the trees and rushed home, running like my legs could carry me that fast. Summer Holidays in a suburban neighbourhood was essentially a free pass to go anywhere and everywhere you want, as long as you told your parents were you going.

Running back to my home, I went to go for the front door, but realised the TV was on through the window, so I decided to go through the garage instead. A point to make; my living room is literally the next room over from my garage, and there was literally no way to get around my living room through either the front door or the garage.

I’m stupid.

It didn’t really matter, however- as the garage opened and I slipped under the crack, standing up and dusting myself off, I looked up to see that I was already doomed.

Sitting there was my mother, wearing her favourite red dress, giving me a playful smirk as she watched me.

“Oh.” I tried to play it cool. “Hey mom. Nice to see you out of bed...”

“Motosuki.” She spoke in her familiar sweetly soft voice, crossing one leg over the other. “Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, it was fun!” I walked along, not making eye contact. “Ran about, did some drawing...”

“Beat up somebody’s bike...?”

I swallowed. “What are you... talking about...?”

“Sweetie...” She picked me up from behind, sitting me down on the workshop table she had been sitting on. “I know you destroyed that kid’s bike. His mother recorded it through the window.”

I bit the inside of my lip, trying to hide the fact she was right.

“Moto...” She stroked along my hair, moving it out of my eye. “A mother knows these things. You don’t need to hide it from me...”

“Look, I...” As a six-year-old, I was surprised I was able to even explain what happened without incident. “He called you such horrible things! He... He called you a... a d-druggie? A-And...”

She shushed me quickly, wiping my tears. “Moto...”

“A-And I thought the only good idea was to break his bike. He kind of deserves it anyway... he’s been telling people he’s better than us because he has one.”

My mother held onto me tenderly, letting me lean on her shoulder as she hummed a childhood tune. “Dear, dear... What a situation we find ourselves in.”

“I’m sorry...” I wasn’t sorry. “I just don’t like it when people call you bad things.”

“Sweetie, you’re right to be mad.” She pulled me away to speak more sternly, which mean her voice lowered a single octave. “No one should ever call anyone that word. If I was your age, I’d react the same way... maybe not breaking something expensive, but I would certainly act before thinking.”

I sniffed. “Y-You’re not mad at me...?”

“I’m never mad at you, dear.” She smiled with those gorgeous red lips, which calmed me down so quickly I forgot why I was even angry. “But you need to find a coping mechanism, okay?”

I looked at her, confused.

“... One day, I’m not going to be here to be able to talk you down like this anymore.” She took my hand, squeezing it slightly. “When I’m gone, you need to be able to calm yourself down without me.”

I sighed, a little angry in myself for not realising that. Sure enough... I’d be losing her, perhaps sooner than I’d ever wanted to. She was my mother, and the last thing I wanted was to make her upset.

But losing her was going to be the worst feeling. At Six, I knew what death was- and I took it out on others because I couldn’t hope to understand why Death might take the ones I care about.

Especially my mother.

With a ginger hand, I began twirling my fingers along the tips of my mother’s silver hair. “Mom... It... It’s only you, though. I can only ever look at your face and feel better.”

“Is that so...?” She blinked, and then smiled, thinking more about it. With a swift hand motion, she undid the clasp of her locket’s chain, before taking it off and holding it in her hand. “Then maybe this will help.”

I took the locket from her, opening it to see that it was a picture of my mother and father inside of the heart-shaped locket. My face turned to a smile. “A-Are you sure I can have this...?”

“Of course,” She told me. “Anything for you, Moto.”

She kissed me on the forehead, and the ocean of my mind seemed tranquil for a moment. She even lifted my chin with her finger to look at me with her beautiful pink eyes.

“I love you, Moto...” She smiled a little wider. “My little Two-Shade Wonder. You’re going to make the Sanjuro family proud when you grow up, I’m sure of it.”

She was, of course, referring to my own eye colour- Sectorial Heterochromia, which made my irises two different colours in the same eyeball, pink and purple. A purple that was shared by my father’s eyes as he walked through the door.

“Ara!” He was immediately at my mother’s side. “Hey, what are you doing up?”

“Daisuke, I’m fine...” She was held around the waist as they shared a kiss. “Just felt a little better is all. Needed to stretch my legs.”

I watched them do a little dance, something they did whenever they could. I always remembered wanting a relationship like theirs; one of which you could never take your hands off of the other person, just wanting to be near them.

Of course, that’s when the coughing started, and my mother hand to take a step back to clear it. My father was by her side, making sure she didn’t collapse.

“Are you sure you’re okay...?”

“I’m fine, dear.” She spoke quietly. “Just a hitch in my breath.”

“Okay... well, I got you something.” He revealed a floppy sunhat with this bright red bow tied around it. “I thought we could go out, enjoy the last of the sunlight.”

She nodded, taking the hat and putting it on. “... This is a cool hat.”

My dad nodded back. “Right? It’s a cool hat! What do you think, Motosuki?”

...

I never did answer that question.

“Motosuki?”

I looked over my shoulder, still kneeling as I had put the rose on her tombstone.

‘HERE LIES ARA SANJURO’

‘LOVING MOTHER, LOVING WIFE’

A year. That’s all it took for her illness to get worse. The sun, despite shining, never seemed so... dark, as I got up off the dirt of the grave.

“... It was a cool hat.”

I walked with my father down the hill from the cemetery, holding the locket tight in my hand.

**END**


	54. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY F - THE TOWER]  
THE BASICS

The nerves I felt as I walked through into Hope’s Peak Orphanage was some of the strangest nerves I’ve ever felt in my entire life.

I wasn’t scared, per say- I was nervous, definitely, and yet somehow proud as I looked at the coloured walls and happy messages that decorated everything. I took a seat at the armchair, only for a woman to come through and immediately stand me again.

I tried to remain as formal as possible. “Hello. I’m Masa... I spoke to a woman who said their name was ‘Xanni’?”

“Yes, that’s me.” Xanni extended her hand and I shook it. “You’re our new recruit, right?”

“For the most part,” I responded truthfully. “To be honest, this is more for you guys than it is for me.”

“Well, we appreciate it anyway.” With that, we began walking down the corridor. “The children are always shy to start with, but when they see you caring for them they’ll fall into your arms.”

I laughed nervously as she laughed confidently, and I looked at the murals of giraffes and rainbows and other things as she opened the door to a big playroom.

“Hang on, I’ll fetch someone who’ll be able to explain this better...” She looked around the room, spotting another one of the workers, dressed in bright colours much like she wasn’t. “Ini! Can I have you over here a second?”

The girl, Ini, looked up from sitting with two toddlers, and then stood and walked over, much to the not-caring of the children. “Yes, ma’am! What can I do for you?”

“Ini, this is Masa.” Xanni referred to me, stepping aside. “She’s new here, and needs to be shown the ropes. Can you do that?”

“Of course!” She saluted. “I’ll be happy to!”

“Good.” Xanni smiled back. “Good luck, you two.”

Xanni walked away as Ini looked at me with this... piercing red gaze that almost made me afraid of her, like I was drowning in terror. Of course, it was the bubbly personality that pushed me back above the surface.

“So, you’re Masa!” She giggled. “Cute name! My name is Ini Itinora. I work here sometimes!”

I went for a handshake, which clearly she misread as I was pulled into a spinning hug which ended with me nearly toppling as she laughed.

“Oh, Lookie, Lookie!” She pointed at my feet. “You almost tripped over something!”

Sure, we’ll go with that. “Oh... sorry...”

“No, it’s fine!” She looked around, putting on an over-exaggerated march as I walked with her. “When you’re here, you need to watch your feet. The children just love this room. The older children don’t really like it, but then they’ve got classes, too, so they like to come here when they can!”

I barely avoided a pair of screaming children as they ran between us.

“That was Ido and Terri! They’re twins!” Ini pointed as they went. “They’re the lucky ones, unfortunately... some people don’t come here with family.”

With that, we moved on. I didn’t feel bad leaving that room- the Orphanage didn’t seem to be running thin of caretakers of either gender, as there were at least four of them in the room we left. The new room we entered was a lot quieter, however, and as Ini put on a hushed tone she looked over at another woman, dressed in what appeared to be more appropriate wear.

“Like Vollo, for example...” Her smile faded. “He was abandoned in front of the orphanage. Coincidentally, I was the one to find him...”

The caretaker was doing a really good job reading to the 1-year-old, who actually seemed interested in what was happening.

“Oh, this is the incubator, by the way.” She giggled quietly at the name. “It’s where the babies are kept. I’m not usually allowed in here but I was told I had a pass if I’m with another person.”

The carpet was soft, I could tell that for sure, and the walls were painted a pale white. Everything about the room was designed like an egg, which just made me feel weird.

We headed out of that room to peek through a window that looked into a classroom, a class of which was already going on. Inside was about fifteen younger students, probably eight or nine, learning from a board. It appeared to be fractions.

“Everyone here is super nice,” She told me.” Only issue is that the classes are super difficult. This is Hope’s Peak, after all, if you’re not the best you’re not trying hard enough... so you might be asked for help on their homework and stuff.”

I had to actually pinch myself to not make the joke I was about to.

Ini then lead me back into the playroom. “So, any questions?”

“Um, one...” I adjusted a cuff. “Will you be providing housing?”

“Housing?” Ini blinked. “I wouldn’t know! I live with my Daddy.”

“A-Ah...” I had to remember that Ini probably didn’t actually work here... which made no sense from the fact she gave me the tour. “Do... any of the other workers, live here?”

“There’s a few people who stay as night workers?” Ini wasn’t giving me what I wanted to hear. “I’m not sure! Ask Xanni, she’s the receptionist.”

I looked down as my dress was pulled suddenly. A young boy, probably no older than 5, looked up at me, and I smiled and knelt down.

“How can I help you?” I asked him.

“Y-Your hair is blue.” He told me.

“Yes, yes it is.”

“C-Can I touch it? Is it soft?”

Ini giggled. “Look! You have a fan already!”

Despite my not wanting to, I did end up smiling and laughing as I picked up the child and held him in a place where he could play with my hair. “Ini, you’re incredible... why don’t you work here?”

“Because I’m a Country Singer!” She told me. “Instead, I come every other day to drop off stuffed toys and things Daddy finds around the city. And then on Sundays I play guitar, too!”

I grinned back. “That’s incredible...”

“Awww, it’s nothing!” She blushed gently, acting cutesy about it. “It’s to thank people! Daddy says that it makes people very happy, so I’m gonna do it!”

I suddenly realised something at that moment. Something I hadn’t asked. “Ini... how old are you?”

“Oh, I’m fourteen!”

I had to resist the urge to yell. This girl... at _fourteen_, was a better person than anyone I knew at seventeen.

Especially... him.

... The man I’d have to go back to after all of this. Every day for the rest of my life.

I took a deep breath as Ini obliviously asked her next question. “So, as it’s your first day, you’ll only need to work an hour, but I’m sure Xanni will have your timetable ready by tomorrow...”

I paused, looking at the kid still currently tying knots in my hair.

“... Actually... I think I’ll work until you stop, if it’s okay?” I had to make up an excuse on the spot. “I-I don’t want to just leave, I haven’t done anything yet.”

Ini looked at me like I’d asked her to shoot me. “... A-Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” I nodded. “What do you need help with? Anything at all.”

With that, she beamed and giggled. “Oh, then you could help clean up if you want! There’s tons of toys to put away, but then they’re always gonna be thrown out and about again. Then you can meet some of the kids if you want! I don’t remember any of their names except the few I spent a night with taking care of when they were ill, but I’m sure the names will come to me soon!”

I nodded as the boy I was holding suddenly hugged into me, giving me the idea he was upset or sleepy, but not enough to shake me from just following Ini monotonously.

Anything to be away from him.

Anything at all.

**END**


	55. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY G - THE SUN]  
CHAOS THEORY

Why?

A question that I got stuck on as I looked at the paper of the darkened room. Silence around me, save the drumming of my fingers on the table. It was a good question... Why would I ever want to do this?

Why would I willingly perform a killing game?

Simple. I was tired.

Tired of what? Life, mostly. I’d had expectations rammed onto me every turn of the way, and on every front I was expected to meet them. I failed. Every time, I failed. I had no reason to live, let alone survive.

To be granted the ability to Mastermind my own killing game was like a dream come true. A lifetime achievement award, which I’d probably never get to reap the rewards of. Hosting a killing game was a lose-lose situation; I lost, I died, I won, I was revered for that fact. If they never found out, which would become impossible to upkeep, they’d see me as a survivor.

Survivor’s guilt. The term comes to mind when you think about it on the daily. Just the idea of living turning you into a sour brat because it should’ve been you- that hurt to think that some people were honestly that weak.

To be honest, it wasn’t my hand guiding the pen that day. It was this idea that I was never supposed to be a person of pure Chaos- following Order would never be my way of work, and Fate and by further extent, Faith, wasn’t it either. Luck was too random to fall back on; at least with Chaos you could guide it to be destructible in your favour.

You couldn’t raze an earthquake, but you could be the first to survive when it did. You couldn’t whip up a hurricane, but you could be the person everyone falls back on when one tore through your home.

In a way, this was an impossible form of Chaos. Controlled, calculated. Just wrong enough that it’d destroy someone and just right enough that I could choose who it’d destroy.

For the first time, I wouldn’t be the paper history was written on... I would be the pen.

As for Why I did it... my answer was clear, concise and easy to understand.

‘Do you believe in the Chaos Theory? The idea that anything that can happen, will happen, and its inverse will happen wherever it wants? I am the Chaos Theory in this state- the idea that a killing game would fall squarely on my lap, for me to control. I am the Chaos of the Theory in this case, able to consume just as quickly as I can repair.’

I paused, looking at the remaining space.

‘With my plan for a killing game, I would become a detective. A hero. A person that the others would rely on, and right at the end, they’d feel the sting of Despair, just like all the others. I believe there’s nothing for me after all of this; if I’m not picked, I’ll live life like a zombie, just moving on until I’m finally put out of my misery. This is not begging. This is just the truth.’

I moved the page over.

Did I really think that? Well, yes, but for different reasons. My emotionless state made me empty. Made me unable to feel anything, or want to do anything at all. A former Remnant of Despair-turned-Shadow had no purpose but to disguise their emotions behind a veil of doubt.

One single emotion drove me.

The idea that I could see my brother one more time.

A nail in the coffin, so to say. The idea that with the ink on the page, I’d have signed a death warrant. All I could really do was wait for the processing, and to see if I was chosen to host the new Killing Game that had been teased on the Black Market.

... My hubris would be my undoing, funnily enough. My ideas of never having any reason to live is exactly what got me picked.

They always said a Shadow could never be a Mastermind.

Hatred skyrocketed upon me on the internet. ‘He’ll never win’, they said. ‘They’ll never get past the first chapter’. That’s what the memory erasement process was for- sixteen students, chosen specifically by a member of the board, all with different ideals and lives they could’ve lived.

Different classes, different ages. Different friends, different families.

All except me. My position was secure and would not be shifted. As a Mastermind I got privileges- privileges that I willingly turned down, save a few. I wanted to be a student, and I wanted to be there to solve the mysteries of the murders I would be forced into creating.

It took little time for me find issues. Out of a hundred motives, I was chose to pick 5. Out of a thousand students, I was supposed to pick sixteen. That’s why the game took way longer than a usual one to start; I had told them to find students with connections to the last killing game, titled Another Branch by authorities.

That wasn’t enough, though- I wanted murderers. People who deserved to die. People who, like me, had done horrible things, and would be rooted against rather than for. With a detective sprinkled into the mix, I would be the one that they’d talk about. The one that the Government would be gunning to rescue.

Because that’s who we were playing against, at the end of the day- Future Foundation, High Court, and the morals of people who wanted to be recognised as good friends of complete strangers.

And in that time... the time that it took them to find the students I’d requested...

I met her.

Kaiyo Sycamore... a candle in the dark. A woman I truly believed that would’ve saved me from total destruction. I wrote about her, every day of my life, each day growing more and more obsessed. The only thing that broke me out of the darkness- the only thing that made me feel something again for the first time since the death of my brother.

She was just as insane as I was, and I was ready to lose it all for her. If I’d been given the option, I’d have taken her; I’d have put her in my killing game, just to be closer. But she was protected by Future Foundation, a survivor of the killing games.

But Sun-Sing, her best friend, wasn’t. She’d given that up when she left the country, and had put herself in my targets the second she came back.

There was one issue- I realised it the second the sixteenth student was collected- and that was that, if I had the killing game... if I put myself through a game that I, myself, had told them I had wanted...

I would never see her again.

So then began the attempt to sabotage my OWN killing game. Starting with a very quick modification of the cemetery, designing it to hold a back room in the art room, where I put all evidence of what I had done. My paintings, my diary; the misdeeds of my idiocy.

Next came the aim to put a spy into the mix. In order to erase memories, you have to place the students into a state of animation for a night, and then move their comatose bodies somewhere else. The night it was supposed to happen, I swapped out the Cultist- Cerberus, I think his name was- and put a sleeper agent in whose pod was turned off until the recovery team sent us to the site. Of course, I would have the same type of pod, being the mastermind.

I did kill him. I didn’t feel bad; Cerberus was a bible-bashing weirdo that sacrificed people to God, plus he knew Kaiyo a bit too closely.

Had I known that man I hired from the Black Market had been Kaiyo’s _sister_, I would’ve thought twice.

While in the facility, I would work with the weakest link. My sights landed on Osen, an arithmetic young girl with a heart condition who would’ve been the first target had I not stood by her side. I teamed up with her, attempting to convince her things that she would’ve not known- things like ‘Shadows couldn’t be Masterminds’- and managed to keep in her good books.

Sure, I probably ruined any chance of a funeral being attended by the survivors, but sometimes we need enemies in our lives to show where our true friends are, huh?

And I never planned to get away with it. That hadn’t been the plan at the start, and it wouldn’t be the plan now. I got D-002 as the Monounit; some sort of junk creation that the people running the game told me would ‘allude that the Mastermind is a lot more creative than you are’. Nice going on that one- Hisonora was able to shut it down by simply playing on the fact that Monounits couldn’t allow suicides.

And then... Monomodo was the replacement, and things just collapsed. The killing game ended early; earlier than usual for a surviving group. I’ve heard of a game ending in the fourth chapter before, but I’d probably not been born when that happened.

Everyone who was left was smart, and that was my downfall. The downfall of the man whose guilt got the better of him... and shut him down for good.

So I stand here. Gun to temple, controlled by the snake in question, my execution already having shot a woman I’d once wanted to use to drag Kaiyo to the game. I watch my life flash before my eyes and I never flinch at a single moment of it.

... I hope to whatever God I’m about to get my ass kicked by that the penance I’ll face is swift.

**END**


	56. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY H - THE FOOL]  
EXPECT LESS

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...

I sat at the chair outside the medical room, panicking slightly. I knew it was going to be okay, but there’s nothing the mind doesn’t do when you’re afraid.

The man sitting next to me was my exact opposite. Thank God he actually tried to speak with me. “First time?”

I assumed he was talking about the fact my wife was currently in labour in the other room. “... Yeah...”

“Second for me,” he told me. “No need to panic... She’s in good hands. This hospital’s top notch.”

“That’s always good to hear.”

A small beat of pause as I could only imagine what was happening in the other room. I was always slightly cowardly- they say a man who can’t watch the birth of his child is weak, and that’s what was really getting to me at the moment.

“How long have you been here?” He asked me more questions to keep my mind off of things.

“Oh, about... s-six, ish, hours...?” I tried to keep track of the time.

“Mm. They say the longer it takes, the healthier they’ll be,” he quipped. “My wife was here for eighteen with our firstborn. No need to panic. Your child will be alright.”

“Second time you’ve told me not to panic in a minute...”

He laughed to himself. “So, what’s the gender?”

“They’re saying it’s a girl.”

“Ah, same for me.” He nodded. “It’s a girl for myself. We’ve been raising another girl for a few years, so he’s... gonna have a little sister, after 11 years.”

“Heard they’re harder to raise...” I tried a joke. It only seemed to worry me more.

“Come on, now.” He patted my back. “Take some deep breaths! Welcome to parenthood.”

I nodded, swallowing and rubbing my hands over each other. “God... I just don’t want to mess up, you know?”

“Son,” He was older than me, he was allowed to call me that. “I’ll give you some advice... You may think that you’re not going to be perfect as a father, but in all realities, there is no such thing as a perfect parent. You’re going to make mistakes, and that’s just how life is.”

I looked up at him as he continued to talk.

“Life isn’t about how good you are at it,” He told me. “Life is about how far you’re willing to put your foot down, say ‘this is the way I want it’, you know? When my little boy Owata was born, I would cry when he did because I had no idea if it was my fault or not.”

“Wow... is that right?” I sat up straight then, invested in the conversation.

“Yeah... but you learn soon that a baby cries for all sorts of reasons.” He motioned out with his hand, like he was holding a plate. “The aim is to find out what they cry for. For Owata, it’s usually attention.”

I was already feeling better as he took a deep breath.

“Then they begin talking, and you never want them to shut up. Just babbling and laughing and you find yourself getting lost with them. Their innocence, their love... you want to grab it and never let go.”

This was now just him repeating his thoughts on children. Not that I was complaining.

“But you have to remember not to be overprotective, and at the same time, not to let them believe they get whatever they want from you.” He turned, holding his finger up. “You find a balance, and they find theirs. And it’s not like this pinpoint thing- you can quickly find it if you pay attention. It took me 11 years to find that out; thought you’d might want to hear it now, instead.”

With one final surge, he told me words that I’d remember until my dying days.

“When you find the happy medium between you and your child, you’ll be laughing and singing songs and riding bikes with them, and you’ll look back and wonder why you ever panicked in the first place.”

I laughed slightly, and he patted my leg with manly intent.

“Thank you.” I told him. “Truly. I needed to hear that... My name’s Awadhi, by the way.”

He responded by shaking my hand. “Kay. Kay Sing.”

On cue, a doctor walked through, looking around. “Awadhi Machi?”

I stood, being brought through to the hospital room that held my wife. There she lay, holding a newborn.

My, newborn. Our newborn.

A little girl.

The doctor stayed in the background as I walked over. My wife, she looked exhausted; and yet so beautiful, even then. I sat next to her, holding both her head and her hand as we looked at the new life in front of us.

“... What do you think?” She looked at me, asking gently.

“I think she’s perfect.” I responded, a huge grin on my face and tears in my eyes.

“What would you like to call her?” The doctor asked.

I could get this one. We’d been discussing naming her it for so long and had decided on the name, coincidentally on the car ride over after her water broke.

“... Cho.” I felt her smile. “Cho Machi.”

Little Cho made a small yawning sound, followed by small whimpers, so we hugged her close. That day, I made a vow- A vow that I would soon come to learn that I was not ready to make literal.

A vow that Cho would erupt into the world like a fireball and scorch the Earth with her greatness.

**END**


	57. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY I - JUDGEMENT]  
FIRST TALENT

I sat hunched over, watching as the man looked through my sheets. I could tell he was getting more and more confused as he was going through them, his face changing to a more and more exasperated expression.

I stayed quiet, thinking his confusion was no more than worry. Had I not been good enough? I’d always expected it, to be honest. Just waiting for him to turn around and say ‘Yeah, no’ before leading me out the door.

This is the first time I’d ever been called into the Head Teacher’s office before. I was pretty nervous... even at 20 years old, and he was about half the size of me, which was saying something. I was less buff back then.

Of course, I did speak when he put the last sheet down. “Everything okay?”

“... S-Sir, how...” He spoke with a slight stammer. “How did you... do this?”

“Do what?” I responded with innocence. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

“Well, usually at Hope’s Peak, we test people on the five majors.” He held up his hand to count on his fingers. “English, Maths, Science, Language and Social Studies, plus any bonus subject students feel like they need to take for their talent.”

I tilted my head. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Hisonora, was it?” He checked the testing score sheet. “You... You took all of them.”

“Of course. They were required, weren’t they?”

“No, you... You took ALL of the tests.” He seemed exhausted, like I’d run him through a marathon, despite only being here fifteen minutes. “All physical, mental, psychological tests, you took them all.”

“Was I not supposed to?”

The head teacher took a deep breath. “How long have you been here, Hisonora?”

“Oh, please. Call me Hiso, it’s easier.” I waved off the formalities. “And I’ve been here for about 2 years.”

“T-Two--” He choked, having to sip his water like I’d told him a dirty joke.

“Oh, sorry, did I surprise you?” I went to stand to help him, but he held his hand out and sat me back down as he regained his composure.

“Hisonora...” He cleared his throat. “You sat 183 tests in a two-year period.”

“Yes?” I shrugged my shoulders. “Oh, 184, actually. I had to take a Mental Aptitude Test six months ago. I don’t know if that counts, actually. That was more to test for mental illness, and you can’t really TAKE that sort of test, it’s more performed on you--”

“You passed every single one.”

I blinked. “Really now?”

He pushed the sheets back to me, which I gathered quickly. “24 A-Stars, 112 A’s, Rest of them A minus...”

I furrowed my brow. “So what does that mean, exactly?”

“It means, Hiso, that you could technically take any subject in Hope’s Peak and be accepted in without incident.” He motioned to the paper. “Hell, I’ll even recommend you to them, personally. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you.”

I paused. Confusedly, I took my cup of water and drank it gently. He looked at me, expectedly waiting for me to speak.

When I did, I saw his face lower.

“Cool.”

“... It’s... more than that, Hiso,” He laughed, almost insanely. “You could take ANY subject. Any of them.”

“Okay?”

“... So which one?”

“Which one do you think I should go for?”

His breath hitched, and he had to look away from me, taking a deep breath. I just watched, still not quite understanding what he was asking me.

When he turned back, though, he did ask me something else.

“Hiso, what are stalling for?”

I adjusted my sitting position in the armchair that was slightly too small for me. “I’m not stalling.”

“Yes, you are.” He leant on the desk. “You’re a man of great renown. You’ve passed every test with flying colours, could easily secure any position you wanted. Why aren’t you taking the bull by the horns?”

I replied with the truth. “... Nobody’s proud of me for that fact.”

“The hell are talking about?” He replied, shocked. “I sure as hell am! You’re one of the greatest students I’ve ever met!”

“I’m...” I sighed. “I’m... talking about family.”

He paused, and then glowered. “Oh. I’m... sorry to hear you had a rough upbringing.”

“No, it was a fine upbringing.” I shrugged again, smiling through the pain. “More talking about that I have nobody in my family _to_ be proud.”

He swallowed. “You didn’t write this on your entry sheet.”

“I didn’t feel like people needed to know.”

He pinched his nose. “You should’ve. Hiso, your family would be proud of you, I know they would be. Nobody could look at their child and not be proud of them with THIS record.”

“So what?” I crossed my arms. “I just... go to a teacher, say I want to be an Ultimate, and I’m let in?”

“Well, no, you sign some paperwork with me and then you’re entered into a course.” He motioned to a cabinet behind him. “You just need to tell me what you want to be.”

I paused. That simple, huh...?

“... Ultimates...” I told him. “The title is... wrong. I don’t want to be the ultimate of anything. I’ll restrict myself to that title, and I never want to do something like that. That’s how people do horrible things.”

The Head Teacher looked at me with strangely accepting eyes. “... I understand that. But...”

“Let me ask you something.” I looked at him, an idea hitting me at that moment. “Has anyone ever taken more than one talent before?”

He swallowed. “A few times. Why?”

With a smirk, I cleared my throat and slammed both hands on the desk, the smirk widening as I did.

“Give me every talent.”

Of course, he registered what I’d just said and opened his mouth shakily. “W-What?”

“You heard me.” I repeated myself anyway. “Give me every talent. You said it yourself- I could take whatever talent I wanted, so give me all of them.”

“H-Hiso, you realise that’s not possible, right?” He worriedly put his hands out. “There’s so many conflicting timeframes, you’d have to be in every lesson in school at least twice per day...”

“Then let’s make a trade.” I leant back. “Let me sit whatever lessons I want. At the end of every month, I’ll take one of the tests, and if I don’t earn the title, I’ll move on.”

“You’re going to overwork yourself--”

“I’ll work through it.”

“What about burnout? You’re going to make yourself suffer--”

“Then so be it. It’ll stop me doing other things.”

“Hiso, think about your own health for a second--”

_“I already did when you raised a bomber.”_

The look on the Head Teacher’s face made me realise he’d finally noticed my face darkening. Sure enough, he quietly resigned to looking back to the cabinet, rubbing his arm with remorse. Didn’t help that my voice had gone into that place I didn’t like using it from- the quiet anger of a man who had nothing to lose, not anymore.

He’d seen the sheet with my Mental Aptitude Test.

He knew what I’d be doing otherwise.

“... Fine.” He said it quietly, and then out loud. “Fine. You have yourself a deal. But you have to use a title that I give you, which’ll describe the sort of man you are, okay...? We can’t just leave you talentless.”

“Awesome.” I grinned, the look on my face vanishing. “What did you have in mind?”

He took a deep breath, looking up.

“Ultimate Jack-Of-All-Trades.”

My smile faded.

... If that’s what had to be done... then so be it.

With a solid handshake, I began a journey I would never forget.

The journey of a man with far too much talent...

And far too empty of a soul.

**END**


	58. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY J - THE HERMIT]  
UNHAPPY MARRIAGE

I was nine when I first met my sister, Kaiyo.

By technicality, I was the second oldest of my siblings. I got adopted at the same age I would met them. My older brother was 12, my youngest brother was 2.

Kaiyo was 8, and she was already weary of the world. She was tired constantly, had this weird back condition that made her shut down like an android. Coming from a native background was difficult, especially growing up around white people- the feeling of homesickness hit me often, despite how much I loved my new family.

As we grew older, I noticed myself drifting towards Kaiyo. Life didn’t command me to. Mom didn’t really enjoy my company, and Dad was too busy with work to keep caring for all of us. The eldest of us took up making food for the children of the Sycamore household, while Kaiyo acted as mental relief, talking with us and making sure we were okay.

I’d watched the day they’d divorced, actually. The day mom and dad fell out of love. I’d been watching from the staircase, having heard the beginning of the yelling from my room as I had been working on my outfit for school tomorrow.

I sat at the balcony, not seen by my parents as I watched from above.

“Then why should I care?!” Mom yelled at Dad, her voice breaking. “You’ve done NOTHING for the family ever since Renesi was adopted!”

“You think I’m not trying?” He yelled back, louder than I’d ever heard him yell. “You think I don’t go out there, every day, busting my ass to try and give you everything you’re sitting on the couch abusing?!”

“Excuse me?!” She put a hand on her chest, offended. “I’m doing my part just fine, thank you very much!”

“Oh I’m sure your online fashion business is going swimmingly!” He flick his hand outwards. “Look at aaaaall the sales you’ve made!”

“Business has been slow!”

“Business NEVER PICKED UP SPEED.”

“Fuck you!” She yelled finally. “And what about you, huh?! You’re really doing well over in that factory where you _watch_ machines do your job for eight hours, huh?!”

“Put your fucking mind into logic, woman!” He was going red with rage. “I’m literally doing everything nowadays! Our damn CHILDREN had to do things YOU’RE refusing to do!”

“Oh, insult me, how cute.” She barked back. “Are you happy, then?! Are you happy?! Does that make you feel better?!”

“NO!”

The yell echoed the room into silence. Mom actually changed from anger to anguish as she realised what he’d yelled.

“... No.” He said it again, his voice wavering as he cooled down. “I’m not happy, okay? I’m not happy. And it does feel better to finally say what I’ve been thinking for the past year.”

Six months in the family and I’d already learnt more about my ‘parents’ than I’d ever wanted to.

Mom swallowed, her breathing going funny. “... I’m... not happy either.”

“God, look at us,” Dad said, falling back into a chair. “We’re arguing like damn children.”

“What happened to us...?” She did the same action, hitting the couch instead. “We used to be so... happy. What changed?”

“Wasn’t the children,” Dad said immediately. “Couldn’t have been the children.”

“Adopting Renesi made me so happy... for a month.”

“And Kaiyo’s growing up to a beautiful young girl...”

“Tatsun... Migan...” She grabbed her face. “I don’t care if Kaiyo dropped Migan; he’s still our little boy...”

“... So it’s just us, then...?” He looked at her, his eyes dark and emotional.

“... Maybe it is...” She looked back, tears pouring.

I’d heard enough. Moving quietly back to the bedrooms, I checked each room to make sure everyone else was okay. Tatsun was asleep with headphones on, so no worries there- Migan was snoring away like a chainsaw.

But Kaiyo was awake. And she was crying, up until I had walked in.

“Kaiyo...” I closed the door. “Hey...”

“Y-You heard it too, huh...?” She looked at me with terror in her eyes.

“I was watching it happen.” I sat on the bed with her, and she immediately fell into me, hugging me close. I hugged back with a tender arm.

Had it been then?

Had that been the deciding factor for my aim in life? The ideas that I held?

I wanted to protect her, but... did I want to do it like this?

... Twelve years on. I’m looking at the pod containing Cerberus, the man who I’m about to take the place of. His robes, his skin tone- everything, down to the hair, was just like mine.

Except the mouth bindings. But my scarf- my string of bandages that I called one, at least- acted much like that.

Pressing the release switch on the memory wiping machine, I readied the curved blade in my hand...

And the door opened.

**END**


	59. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY K - THE DEVIL]  
LUSTFUL MEETING

I remember the meeting perfectly. Holding the blanket over my chest, I remember being scared of what I was about to see happen, but I remember waiting to have his eyes turn volatile.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Dad was so mad at me. I remember the pure rage that consumed him as he threw aside my nightstand, the boy I liked hopping to the other side of the bed.

“Sir,” Fabio spoke with worry and terror. “This REALLY isn’t what it looks like, please--”

“It looks like you’re trying to fuck my daughter!” He hurled back, standing by my side as Fabio scrambled to the door that had been kicked in. “Keep the fuck away from her and my family, you creep!”

How had Dad found me, exactly? Fabio’s house was 30 miles away from my own, in the suburbs, a nice little residence that he lived with his parents in. Dad cracked his knuckles as Fabio looked to me in terror.

Unfortunately for Fabio, I wasn’t going down with him.

Time to play the victim I was.

“D-Dad...” I instantaneously started up the crocodile tears, looking between the pair with actual fear. “P-Please don’t hurt him... w-we were just...”

Dad was at my side in an instant. “It’s okay, baby. I know, I know. I told you he was bad news...”

“I-I told him no... a-and he...” I said it quietly to him, hoping Fabio wouldn’t hear. “He ripped my bra off, a-and...”

Dad gave Fabio an intense look, and the man must’ve known at that moment he’d messed up because he made an immediate excuse. “S-She said she was eighteen! I-I thought I was good to--”

“I’M GOING TO BREAK YOUR FUCKING ARMS!”

Dad surged at him, and he sprinted instinctively. I heard him gallop down the stairs and out the front door. Standing up and walking over to his bedroom window, taking the blanket with me, I looked down to see Fabio get in his car and drive off, probably in full flight mode of the six-ten, 300 pound linebacker who’d just charged him.

Dad was good like that. What he wasn’t good at was keeping himself to himself.

“Ugh, put it away...” I looked over my shoulder to see him throwing my panties back to me. “Smart enough to block the front, but not the back?”

“Hmph. You’re one to talk.” I slipped my panties back on, dropping the blanket as I did, making him growl in frustration. “I had to get my tits out just to distract him for longer. Where were you?”

“Cutting the silent alarm,” he motioned to a pair of pliers he plucked from his belt with a sinister smirk.

One that I immediately shared with him.

“Alright, grab the expensive shit.” Dad instantly started by sifting drawers through. “... Is... Is this his parents’ room?”

“The bed was comfier,” I told him, walking over and fixing the hoops on my bra. “Plus his was a single. Like fuck was I falling out of a bed with his limp-dick ass inside me.”

“How far did he actually get?” He tutted.

“Second base,” I told him truthfully. “Asshole could at least work his tongue.”

“I really, really don’t want to hear this--”

“Then don’t ask, Dad.”

After getting dressed in the bare essentials, Dad and I got to looting. We took anything that looked like it would fetch a pretty penny, from rings to necklaces, and I even managed to snag one of those action figures that you prop up and do nothing with that I knew went for a fortune.

I also found his box of condoms. I put holes through all of them.

As I was heading downstairs, fanning my hair out to the side, Dad stopped me, pointing at the safe in the front room. “You know the password?”

“8-2-5-2.” I replied without hesitation. “Idiot told me anything I wanted if I promised him a piece of me.”

“Holy shit... you were planning to go all the way with him, weren’t you?” He looked at me with a combination of disgust and strange pride.

“Anything for you, Dad.”

“Awww... gross.”

I laughed as he entered the code, opening to reveal a huge sum of money. We both had the same immediate reaction- awe, followed by ramming as much into the duffel bag I had brought with me. I even toyed with it a little, fanning myself like a rich princess.

“Finally...” He huffed. “This is enough.”

I looked at him, shocked. “You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure! There’s like, 80,000 yen alone in my hand right now!” He motioned to the wad of bills. “We can finally get out of this shithole!”

“Were are we going?” I asked him, instantly having ideas run through my head.

“Simple. We’re going where YOU will prosper.” He prodded me in the chest, and on instinct I went to grab his hand and move it lower, but he pulled away. “We’re going to Yokohama.”

“... Hope’s Peak?” I asked him, a little shocked he’d even suggest it.

“If I’m going to go down, I’m going down knowing my little girl has somewhere to flourish.” He put a hand on my shoulder instead.

“I’m not so little anymore, Dad.” I make the naughty joke as I chuckled, standing and turning and walking the other way. “What would I even do with all of this?”

Dad stood to, zipping the duffel bag shut. “It doesn’t matter! Let’s just get there first. We can work it out from there.”

With a wink and a nod to the empty room, Dad and I rushed out, getting into his car and barrelling off from the scene. Goodbye, slums of Japan...

Hello, Yokohama... and all the boys that came with it.

**END**


	60. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY L - THE HIEROPHANT]  
DELIGHTFUL SMELLS

Being born blind was not my intention.

It’s... weird to think that I never got to know what anything looked like. I took guesses as to what others looked like. Matching names to faces would never be a thing I could ever get to do- I matched to names to voices, which despite doing it all my life was rather difficult.

Despite my disability, my brother treated me like I was just another person. A girl who just needed some more guiding. My parents were loving and happy with who I was, even after being told I would never be able to see at all.

The ‘rumour’ of other senses heightening when one vanished? Half-true. You have to be born without one to really understand what that means. My vision would be as black as night, but my hearing was sharp. I could feel things that I knew were too textured for other people, and could taste things that I knew others would never tasted quite like I could.

And most importantly... I could smell.

I don’t know colour. I will never know colour. But I remember acutely thinking that I could see them for the first time that day.

I was walking down the street with my brother and mother. My father was working until seven, whenever that was, so I was brought along on their walk. I didn’t have a cane back then- I held my brother’s hand as he walked confidently with me.

I’ll never forget the smell that hit my nostrils that day. I’ll never forget the bright, powerful aroma of flowers fill my senses, their dancing tunes of luxury and viscous, vibrant joy. I stopped, overwhelmed to start, but looked around futilely to find the source of such a smell.

“Are you okay, Sis?”

My brother... Wananta. He recognised it, too, as I heard him sniffing.

“Oh, that’s... strong.”

“Oh, that’s Miss Ecanudo’s garden.”

My mother walked past us, as I could hear by the footsteps.

“I wonder if she’s home...”

I walked with her, reaching out to touch the brick wall I guess was in front of me. What I felt instead was Ivy, running down the brick, and I recoiled in shock before putting my hands back.

The smell... it was like... I don’t know how to describe it. It was like ice-cream on a hot day, or... perhaps a warm bath in the winter. Peaceful. Tranquil. Powerfully soft, and consuming.

I felt at home. Even though we’d left home 30 minutes ago.

“Ah, Miss Ecanudo!”

“Miss Tezuka... how may I help you...?”

An elderly voice. I’d never heard that one before. Perhaps it was one of Mom’s friends.

“Oh, um... You see, Kukiko...”

I was picked up suddenly, and I felt myself placed on the wall as the older of the voices made an ‘aww’ sound.

“She really likes the smell of your flowers! Is it okay if she sits here a while, while she smells them?”

“I don’t see why not! As long as she’s okay with that.”

I didn’t know where the elderly woman was, so I just nodded, hopping she would understand. For the next fifteen minutes, I sat on that wall, careful as not to fall and trample them or topple backwards and hit my head. Wananta sat with me, talking about his games or whatever while Mom and Miss Ecanudo chatted about anything and everything they could.

The smell was divine. I felt like I was sitting in front of the Goddess of Flowers herself, her beauty and grace running over me like fragrant waterfalls. Back then, of course, I’d have never found the words to describe it like this. I just whispered ‘nice smell’ to my brother, and that was it.

From that day until the end of spring, I would visit that garden every day I could. There were of course days when it was raining, or days where Miss Ecanudo wasn’t home, but the days where the weather was perfect and I was able to sit amongst the smells were days I would find inner bliss. Mom and Ecanudo became better friends because of it, too, and on some days she’d even babysit me, teaching me about all these smells that I would’ve never learnt myself.

I think... had it not been for that woman... I may never have wanted to become a florist. Sure, I would never see the flowers I was selling, but I would smell them- and smell was all I needed. It’s difficult to really explain how; I can’t exactly explain how a Hydrangea smells different to a Mum Flower, and I sure as hell can’t explain how a pink Hydrangea smells ever so slightly sweeter than a red one.

Miss Ecanudo died when I was 11 years old.

I never stopped visiting her home until the day I followed her to the grave.

Before I did... before my life was snapped up by the jaws of something terrible...

I remember acutely thinking what Heaven smelt like.

**END**


	61. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY M - DEATH]  
SIBLING BONDING

I’m... honestly surprised it took so long for anyone to know where I was. I was screaming in pain, the four older boys standing over my body as another one pulled my arm further up my back. Arms are not supposed to bend the way mine did that day.

“Aww, what’s wrong, buddy?” He said into my face. “Where’s your brother, huh?! Where’s your family?!”

I looked up at him, tears pouring from my eyes. He just laughed in my face, and from the fact I heard one of his friends yell at him to ‘break his arm’, I assumed he was about to do it.

That’s when, however, I heard the sound of feet on tarmac as someone ran up the back alley I had been wanting to just walk down. The guy on me looked up as a familiar voice screamed out.

“HEY!”

“Oh, shit- everyone, scatter! Go, Go!”

They kept laughing as they went, however, and as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, Motosuki burst onto the plot and grabbed a rock from the dirt I was leaning at, hurtling it at the back of one of the kid’s heads and clocking them silly. The others rode away on their bikes, completely ignoring what just happened, but as the kid that got hit tried to get back on the saddle, Motosuki rugby tackled him off of it again, punching him eight times square in the jaw.

“You ever lay a finger on my brother again, I will kill you, understand?! I will rip off your own arms and beat the shit out of you with them! Don't ever even BREATHE near my family again!”

The kid was crying as Motosuki yelled into the face of him, and with a good final punch the boy was left to woozily run the opposite direction as Motosuki huffed and tried to regain his breath.

He walked over, sitting next to me with a puff. “Whew...”

“... You really came for me, huh?” I asked him, guilt rising in my chest.

“Yeah?” I saw him look at me in the corner of my eye. “You thought I wouldn’t? You wrote... Well, ‘wrote’... a note about how you were going to get your ass kicked.”

“I wrote telling you I was going to go confront the man who’d been saying awful things about your mother,” I replied.

“Eh, I’ve dealt with him once before. He can’t catch a break, huh?”

I paused as I looked straight forward. Every part of me hurt; turns out, a pack of bullies never liked to play fair.

... Slowly, like a machine was inching it within my vision as slow as a hydraulic press, an iced lolly was held in front of me. I felt my smile returning as Motosuki snickered, angling it to slowly and gently touch me on the forehead.

It was cold. Not Freezer-cold, but cold.

“... Daisuke know you bought these?” I asked him.

I saw his smile fade. “Oh, just call him dad, already, Kane.”

I felt a twinge of pain as I carefully undid the wrapper. The next ten minutes between us were spent in silence as I tried to eat a Peach and Orange flavoured ice lolly slower than I would usually, attempting to keep conversation from ever happening.

When Motosuki finished his, however, sucking each of his fingers even though they had no fruit juice on them, he sighed. “... You know I love you, right?”

I flinched. “... Do you, Motosuki?”

“Well... Yeah.” I saw him break the stick, just using it as some sort of stress relief. “I said some... really hurtful things today. Things I never should’ve said.”

“You called me a ‘reading greybow’.”

“Not my best, I know, but listen...” I turned to him as he turned to me. “I know that I’m not the first person you’d expect to give an apology, but...”

“Before you say anything,” I stopped him. “Because I’m sorry.”

Motosuki tried to say ‘Don’t’, but I know he was debating it. It wasn’t him who’d started the fight, that being me, but it’d escalated to a point where he’d broke drywall. While Daisuke, my dad, had tried to calm him down, I realised my mistake and had run off to fight the reason behind the fight- the bully who’d been leaving hurtful messages on the answering machine.

Motosuki had managed to read through my illiteracy and... well, here we were.

We weren’t brothers. Technically. After the death of Motosuki’s mother, my mother Vivian had been Daisuke’s greatest friend. Friendship turned to Relationship, and eight years later they were married happily.

My ‘brother’ and I had never seen eye to eye. Motosuki blamed me, for a while. Blamed anyone he could for what had happened. But I think it was our fight that day that had made him realise something; as he said it straight to me.

“... I’ve been a worthless brother, haven’t I, Kane?”

I looked at the ground as he took out a locket, one that I knew he kept his mother’s photograph in.

I didn’t want to say he was right. “Mhm.” But I did.

“... That shit needs to change.” I felt his eyes drift back to me while I finished my ice lolly. “That shit needs to change, like right now.”

I looked back at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, all my life, my rage has defined me.” He stood up, talking as he did. “I’m sick of it! I’m a bad brother, I’m a bad student, and I’m a bad child! I just... losing Mom was me losing a part of me I never expected to.”

I blinked, not sure where he was going with this.

“So starting now... we’re done fighting.” He extended his hand down to me. “I’m going to try and be the best damn brother I can be. Are you willing to help me?”

I looked at his hand, shock quickly overrode by happiness as I took it, pulled to my feet.

“So... Bro...” He smirked. “What do you wanna go do?”

I looked up and down the street, feeling a sense of giddiness beginning to overflow. I had no idea how to express it. So, I did the best thing I could think of- I pointed down the street where the bullies had gone.

“... I say we go tell that boy’s father what’s going on, don’t you?”

“Awww, Petty Revenge!” He laughed back. “I love it!”

... The giddiness subsided as I threw my arms around him. Of course, the surprise came when he shoved me off, almost completely on accident.

“Whoa, okay!” He stepped back. “N-Not... ready for that, yet.”

I did feel a little heartbroken about that, and he noticed and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

“... T-though I... suppose now’s a good time to try.”

... Slowly, I extended my hands outwards, and we performed one of the most uncomfortable hugs I had ever done in my entire life, followed by a back pat that felt like pity rather than siblings being siblings. He pulled away, crossing his arms.

“Okay, so, that was horrible.” He nodded. “Gonna work on it.”

“... Me too.” I looked up the street again. “... So the thing?”

“Yeah, of course, the thing, right.”

With that, we both began walking up the street. Even through the tension, I felt a small smile appear on my face.

“... I love you too, bro.” I told him back, and he playfully slugged my arm.

... How could I not talk about family, when family was all I got?

**END**


	62. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY N - THE MOON]  
TOP NOTCH

Immediately moving into the back alley, I walked through into the back room of the building marked ‘TOP NOTCH PHOTOS’. It was descending on evening, meaning that I was early, but it didn’t matter.

I had a meeting.

The door was unlocked, as I was told. The lights weren’t off, as I was told. Pushing in, I put my bag on the floor and felt my word go weary.

It was for the money. Just kept thinking that way. It was just for the money. Your body is worth the money.

“You move silently, Akako.”

I jumped, screaming slightly as a man with his fringe across his eyes spoke for the first time. I’d not seen him from where I walked in- he was dressed in blue clothing and a black belt, a pair of black gloves with triangles in the back.

His smirk seemed to shine like moonlight.

There was no way those teeth were real.

“So, you thought about it?” He walked over, one hand in his pocket. “We doing this?”

“Stop undressing me with your eyes,” I sniped back at him.

“Then get busy undressing,” He responded in a single motion. I felt myself heavily blushing as I took a step back, but to my surprise the creep never made any attempt to advance on me.

“Hmph...”

I looked at my clothing. I’d never enjoyed wearing anything more than summer clothing, but I’d put on a hoodie and sweatpants instead that day. Slowly but surely, I began to take the sweater off over my head and instantly regretted it as I dropped the sweater to the ground.

“Alright, let’s start there.” I watched as he grabbed a high tech camera from the table and got me in a good scene. I had never felt so embarrassed, so disgraced.

This man, this... freak! He’d stripped me down to my t-shirt and jeans! How dare he do such a thing?

The man looked out from behind the camera. “You good?”

“I-I’m fine!” _THIS IS NOT FINE._ “Just... can you turn the heat up?”

“Ayy, that’s my kind of style,” He smirked wider, heading over to the temperature and cranking the dial. “Here we are. Better?”

The wave of heat hit me immediately. “M-Mm...”

“Oh, are you feeling warm now?” He asked me. “Then go ahead and take your shirt off. We’re all friends here.”

My face went into a deep red as I did as he was told. Now I was in my bra. Why was I listening to him? No amount of money was worth this! None!

... Maybe 100,000 yen. No, 200,000. That was it. No less. I’d settle for 150,000, maybe. 125,000 at the lowest. But this was ridiculous... I was doing this for free, for crying out loud! He hadn’t paid me for this!

_Stop taking photos of me!_

I crossed my arms, huffing hard as the feeling of nausea overcame me. This was sickening...

“How are you doing there, hot stuff?” He asked me.

“Fine!” I responded, rolling my eyes. “... How much am I getting paid for this...?”

“Oh, how much did you want?” He told me. “I usually pay 500,000 for first sessions. You also get a 40/60 split on profits, your favour.”

... Okay so maybe this was worth it. Of course, the email he’d sent me had asked for me to go further, and if he was going to pay so much then maybe I should agree with him...

Slipping my jeans down my legs, I kicked them aside nosily and stood there in my undergarments. Maybe I’d gone too far. Maybe NOW was a good time to stop it, because this was getting ridiculous. I was NOT getting nude. He couldn’t make me.

“So, we doing this?” He asked me with an attempt at a raised eyebrow. “No pressure. Whenever you’re ready.”

...

With a single finger hooked around my panties...

I dropped them.

**END**


	63. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY O- THE HANGED MAN]  
LIFE FADES

The sound of distorted carnival music played to mix with the screams of children and their parents. I knelt before the big top, my eyes wide and unblinking as I watched it.

My entire life, gone up in flames.

I just stared at the fire as it billowed, the plume of smoke rising from it like a volcano. I was a circus performer- always had been, always would be- so watching a place I had made my life in burn to the ground...

It made me laugh.

And I did laugh. I laughed with a ferocity that I’d never felt come from my lungs, as did tears as I pounded my fists onto the dirt with terror that I’d lost everything I’d ever held onto. I gripped onto my uniform, ripping away at the throat area to breath easily, then throwing up and continuing to laugh.

At that moment, I cracked. No, not cracked- shattered. Exploded into a million pieces, so small I could probably eat them without incident. My hands shook as a buzzing erupted in my ears, my heart beating so loudly that it consumed anything and everything that I could hear otherwise.

I wiped down my face, a mixture of vomit and blood coming from the action. I clenched my hand into a fist, feeling it run through my fingers.

I wanted to cry. To scream. To take the first person I saw and throttle them like they were responsible. But to be honest, I already knew what had happened. Everyone did; the red-headed clown was always the first to be blamed, and that’s the exact thing that happened.

My body moved on its own as I pulled myself to the feet. I never even heard the sirens of the police or the fire department as footsteps echoed behind me.

“Hands on your head!” I heard the slightest words break through. “You’re under arrest! Anything you say and do will be used against in the court of law!”

I turned to face around five armed police officers, all holding guns at my face. They wore helmets to hide their faces, but their mouths betrayed them, as their grimaces turned lower in confusion and fear.

To them, I probably looked like the devil incarnate. But I was going to try and make an effort to be seen in a better light, despite never getting that option.

I put my hands out in a Catholic Cross manner, and put them behind my head, never breaking eye contact with the largest of the five. Then, I dropped to my knees again, letting them know I wasn’t going to resist.

One of the officers began to move forwards...

But the largest stopped them. “Wait... he’s not a part of this.”

“But Sir, he’s covered in blood...”

“That’s HIS blood. It’s coming from his mouth, look.”

He pointed at me, and I felt my head tilted forwards.

What I heard next made it looked back up in absolute terror.

“Get a recovery team down here. We’ve got a survivor.” The officer approached me, waving his hand. “What happened here, sir? You need to be completely honest with us, okay?”

I just gave him a blank look, my mouth opening and then closing, before opening to take a deeper breath. He took his helmet off at that moment, revealing blue eyes and black hair, in an attempt to make me feel more comfortable.

“We just need an alibi, okay?” He knelt with me, motioning I could stop putting my hands behind my head, which I took graciously. “If you can’t yet, we’ll try and help you through it; but trust me when I say we need it.”

I croaked out a single word. “F-Fire...” Before I couldn’t speak anymore. That’s all the guy needed, giving me a pity look and looking around for the recovery team. Luckily, that team had arrived by this point, and I felt a warm blanket draped over my shoulders.

“Just take some time, alright?” He told me. “Gather your thoughts.”

I looked at him in the eyes. Clearly, we were meeting each other for the first time, but the tenderness made me think we were life-long friends. I remember trying to go in for a hug, but he got up and helped with the other people around the area, who were busy trying to get their bearings. Looks like he was one of the good ones.

Nobody was hurt, I would learn that day. The only people dead were those inside the Big Top when it had burst into flames.

So that was 31 people. All performers, or audience, who had been in the brunt of the explosion. There were no injured.

Except me.

... That day, it should’ve been 32.

**END**


	64. CHAPTER VII - AGENDA OF THE FALLOUT THAT CONSUMED US

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [STORY P - THE STAR]  
PERISH SONG

_Ave Maria_ _  
Gratia plena  
Maria  
Gratia plena  
Maria  
Gratia plena  
Ave, Ave Dominus  
Dominus Tecum  
Benedicta tu imulieribus  
Et benedictus  
Benedictus fructus  
Ventristui, Jesus  
Ave Maria_


End file.
